Bill Clark/Roll Call Photos/Newscom
The Senate passed a farm bill by a vote of 66 to 27. Now the House will be taking up its version of the bill, which is expected to face opposition.
Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) is among the House members critical of the farm bill. A fourth-generation farmer, he grew up on his family’s Indiana farm and is adamant about the problems and challenges in the farm bill.
Stutzman joined Heritage experts to discuss the bill this afternoon. He highlighted his top three concerns:
1. Split the Bill
“I believe that we need to split the farm bill. It’s a farm bill in name only because about 80 percent of it is spending going to food stamps.”
“Food stamp policy is not farm policy. They are separate. They are different.”
2. Insulting to Taxpayers
“When the American people believe this to be a farm bill, and in actuality it is not, it’s insulting.”
“I feel leveraged and I feel it is not being open and honest with the American people.”
3. No Accountability
“In order to keep government accountable and to reduce the cost, we need to have an honest discussion about how this bill works and about how spending in this bill does take place.”
>>> Find out what else is hidden in the farm bill.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated the version of the bill that the House is considering.