Panel Calls for Congress to Pass Senate Version of the Farm Bill

A panel formed by Food Policy Action says Congress should pass the Senate version of the farm bill. The organization took aim at the House version of the farm bill that includes work requirements for food stamp recipients. During an event this week, Food Policy Action executive director Monica Mills said, “we want to see a farm bill that is good for the Americans we represent.” The group says the House version of the bill barely passed the chamber, while the Senate bill passed with an 86-11 vote. Work on the farm bill remains stalled as both the House and Senate are out of session ahead of the November midterm elections, and three of the top four farm bill lawmakers are up for reelection, as noted by the Hagstrom Report. Meanwhile, Erik Olson of the Natural Resources Defense Council said, “Congress is at a crossroads.” Referring to the Senate bill, he says “It may not have been the bill we would have drafted ourselves … but it is a serious compromise.”