After hours of debate on several precise points, the House of Representatives votes to approve the farm-only Farm Bill. It comes after an earlier vote Thursday, to allow the removal of food stamp and nutrition programs from the bill. Sabrina Hill has more.
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The final House Farm Bill vote: 216 to 208.
The vote was split largely along party lines, with all but 12 Republicans voting in favor of the bill, and all 196 Democrats voting against it. It came after hours of heated debate from both sides – especially on the removal of the food stamp and nutrition programs from the bill.
House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas pleaded with his colleagues to pass the bill.
The American Farm Bureau Federation issued a statement after the vote, saying, “While we were hopeful the farm bill would not be split, nor permanent law repealed, we will now focus our efforts on working with lawmakers to deliver a farm bill to the president’s desk for his signature by September.”
The bill still has two big hurdles. It must pass the senate and then get the president’s signature and the Obama administration has already threatened to veto it.
For more on the earlier vote on the removal of the food stamp programs, click here.