Agri-Pulse is reporting that groups covering all points on the political spectrum are getting together to discuss ways to attack the upcoming Farm Bill when the development process begins in Congress.
Roughly two-dozen different groups sent representatives to Washington this week to hear a presentation from an economist and then discuss different messages they can take to Congress regarding changes they want in U.S. farm policy. These organizations are typically very different when it comes to ag policy issues. They range from the Heritage Foundation and Citizens Against Government Waste on the (conservative) right to the Organic Consumers Association and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group on the (liberal) left.
Agri-Pulse attended the meeting and noted that there are going to be at least some issues the different groups will likely agree on. The biggest proposal they’ll likely support is the AFFIRM Act, proposed by Arizona Republican Jeff Flake and Wisconsin Democrat Ron Kind. This bill would make deep cuts in crop insurance and require disclosure of a number of subsidies that individual farmers receive. One idea that didn’t get a lot of momentum was the suggestion to split the Farm Bill.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.