“The need for Congress to agree on government spending cuts could spur action on the farm bill before the end of this year, according to an Associated Press article. The Senate passed their version of the bill in June, and the House Agriculture Committee followed with its version in July, but the bill never reached the House floor amid pre-election politics.
Now, however, as the government faces the possibility of dramatic spending cuts and tax increases automatically taking effect on January 1, Congressional leaders could be more motivated to move a compromise bill toward final passage. The Senate bill would reduce spending by $23 billion over 10 years while the House version would cut $35 billion.
Quoted in the AP article, Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) says an agreement leading to passage of a farm bill would be “a significant first step in meeting the critical deficit reduction challenges our country must face head-on this year.””
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