$60B addition farm bill ag programs proposal faces rough road

A Republican proposal to add $60 billion in farm bill programs to the agriculture portion of a mega “Reconciliation Bill” hinges on securing votes for a controversial overhaul to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The proposed farm bill safety net package includes roughly $50 billion for crop reference prices, as well as money for crop insurance, dairy, livestock biosecurity and export trade promotion, two people with direct knowledge of the talks told Politico.

That additional funding would come from shifting some federal SNAP spending to states for the first time in the history of the program, which helps to feed more than 40 million low-income Americans. Planned changes also include a plan to limit future benefits increases and new work requirements.

The Congressional Budget Office is still working on an official estimate on the federal/state cost-share program that will determine the size of the farm bill package, according to Politico. Senate Republicans have vowed to kill off much of the SNAP cost-share plan, according to the publication.

A new farm bill has been long-delayed, with organizations including the National Potato Council repeatedly calling for its passage to be prioritized. In a May 2 statement, NPC expressed appreciation for Congressional efforts to put together the $4 trillion Reconciliation Bill that would include tax reforms and spending reductions but noted “the House Agriculture Committee is being asked to shoulder a very substantial portion of the overall savings, amounting to $230 billion in spending reductions.”

The International Fresh Produce Association has encouraged a focus on increasing access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in SNAP discussions. Mollie Van Lieu, IFPA vice president of nutrition and health policy, recently stated in media reports that SNAP serves 42 million people a year with an average monthly benefit of about $211 per person, which breaks down to $60 a day or $6 per meal.

Van Lieu has also called for data showing that people would spend more money on fruits and vegetables before supporting proposed SNAP restrictions to soda and candy.

In March, the organization submitted policy recommendations to the Make America Healthy Again Commission reinforcing its commitment to improving public health nationwide and reducing diet-related diseases.

The agriculture panel has targeted May 13 for markup of the Reconciliation Bill.