Things That Aren’t Inevitable: The Farm Bill

Amy Payne /

Don’t you love it when the conventional wisdom gets turned on its head?

What was supposed to happen in Washington a couple of weeks ago—passing the pork-laden food stamp bill known as the “farm” bill—didn’t happen.

The special interests expected it to happen. Most of official Washington expected it to happen. But Heritage and our allies made the case that food stamps and farm programs don’t belong together in one big, fat bill.

Taxpayers deserve better. They deserve transparency about how their money is being spent—and bloated programs desperately need an overhaul.

Now, the House has a chance to get it right—and splitting the actual farm-related programs from the food stamps is only the first step.

Breaking the farm programs and food stamps into two bills is a start—but then the House needs to start over. Why does the “farm” bill need a Christmas tree tax? Why does it support driving up consumer food prices?

>>> 7 Ugly Truths About the House Farm Bill

The food stamp program has its own problems. As Heritage’s Elliot Gaiser points out, “Food stamp rolls have also been climbing for decades, regardless of the economic situation.” This program is supposed to help people get back on their feet, not steer them toward dependence on government.

>>> See 7 Reasons to Reform Food Stamps

Want to hear from a fourth-generation farmer? At 11:30 a.m. ET today, Representative Marlin Stutzman (R), a farmer from Indiana, will speak at Heritage’s Bloggers Briefing, which you can watch live here. He will make the case for splitting farm programs and food stamps.

Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad.

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