Congressman Adrian Smith votes for new-look federal farm legislation

Last week, the Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives forced through a vote on a vastly different Farm Bill than seen in the last four decades – one with no funding for food stamp programs.

With a 216-to-208 vote in favor of the legislation, House leadership was able to gather the necessary votes to pass the measure without a single Democratic vote. One of those who voted in favor of the bill was Nebraska Congressman Adrian Smith.

“While this is not the process I would have preferred, today’s vote is a step in the right direction toward enacting longer-term farm policy,” said Smith in a statement.

Existing federal policy concerning both farm and food aid expires in less than two months, on September 30, and failing to pass any new legislation could lead to an array of issues for farming families across the state, due to the fact that the last permanent farm legislation was passed in 1949, which could lead to harsh price inflation on items such as milk.

The legislation that was barely passed last week received criticism from hundreds of farm groups (532 to be exact). The American Farm Bureau stood against the splitting of the farm legislation from food stamps, saying that a historical, critical balance would be upset by the move.

Should Congress fail to pass any farm legislation, a bevy of questions immediately arise. The food-stamp program would still technically exist, but would have to be funded through appropriations bills in coming months – something that appears unlikely, at least at existing levels, due to Congressional dysfunction.

Federal crop insurance is also cemented into permanent federal policy, but countless other farm-related programs are not including price supports for corn, wheat, soybeans and dairy. Also included in this category are forestry programs and agricultural research. These are the programs that would likely revert to the 1949 legislation – the last permanent farm legislation that passed Congress.

“I’m especially disappointed we are sending a bill to a conference committee between the House and Senate without reforms to the nutritional title,” said Smith. “The end-result of this strategy could be fewer savings than would have been achieved had we passed the original version of the House Bill.”

Approximately 14 percent of all Nebraskans qualify as “food insecure” and are now in danger of losing federal food stamp programs as assistance in their day-to-day lives.

Nebraska Appleseed, a nonprofit organization that “fights for justice and opportunity for Nebraskans” campaigned endlessly against this legislation Executive Director Rebecca Gould says is “unfortunate.”

“This raises serious concerns about the future of SNAP, which is a critical support for thousands of hard-working Nebraskans and the 80,000 children in our state who use the program to access nutritious food,” said Gould. “For years the Farm Bill has included provisions relating to both agriculture and food and nutrition programs, ensuring stability for our farmers and ranchers and vital nutritional support for our low-income families.”

Despite it’s passage last week, U.S. Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE), who served as President George W. Bush’s Secretary of Agriculture in the past, does not see a clear path through the Senate for the House-passed bill because of the removal of food stamp benefits, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

“I think it’ll be a tough sell in the Senate,” he said. “This one will be a battle all the way through.”