House Republican leaders were able to pass a modified farm bill last week after appeasing conservatives by dropping food stamp spending from the legislation.
The revised bill (H.R. 2642) is nearly identical to H.R. 1947, the farm legislation that failed to pass the House in June, except that it omits the earlier bill’s nutrition provisions and food stamp funding. The new bill’s conservation section matches that of H.R. 1947 and still includes a new Regional Conservation Partnerships Program (RCPP) that would offer USDA grant assistance to local farmers that partner with nearby water utilities and other stakeholders on joint projects that protect or improve water quality.
H.R. 1947 failed on the House floor in June after most Democrats voted against it in protest of the bill’s $20 billion of food stamp cuts, but several dozen Republicans also opposed it because they believe the cuts did not go far enough. This time, all Democrats opposed H.R. 2642 (and President Obama threatened a veto), but House GOP leaders were able to squeeze out a 216 – 208 majority after bringing many conservatives back on board. House GOP leaders said they will bring a stand-alone food stamp bill to the floor later this year.
The passage of H.R. 2642 should allow members of the House and Senate to begin conference negotiations to formulate a final farm bill before the current measure expires at the end of September. The new RCPP is likely to be part of that final bill, but more work will be necessary to resolve the food stamp spending issue.