Farm bill costs may exceed expectations

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  freeimages.com/ZGinger

  Falling crop prices have raised cost projections for the farm bill.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Falling crop prices have raised cost projections for the farm bill.
  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said annual payments to farmers could average $4.8 billion over the next decade, which is almost 50 percent more than what was predicted less than a year ago, after the 2014 farm bill passed.
  Some relief will come for taxpayers because costs for the crop insurance program will be lower. The CBO says there will be a $200 million drop from its past projections for average yearly crop insurance costs.
  “History shows there is a close correlation between crop prices, as represented by corn, and the total crop insurance premium and premium subsidies,” Keith Collins, a former chief economist for the Agriculture Department and a consultant now for the crop insurance industry, told Politico. “So when prices drop, as over the past two years, premiums and subsidy costs fall.”
  The CBO is projecting a combined annual cost of the Agricultural Risk Coverage program and the price-loss coverage plan to be $4.4 billion, compared with its projection of $2.94 billion in April. Other smaller subsidy programs bring the total to $4.8 billion.
  
  

Farm bill subsidies could hit $10 billion

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  freeimages.com/eduardtrag

  Economists have estimated that new subsidies from the U.S. government’s five-year farm bill could be as high as $10 billion.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Some economists have estimated that new subsidies from the U.S. government’s five-year farm bill could be as high as $10 billion. That would be more than 10 times the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) working estimate and more than double the forecast by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
  If farmers’ revenues fail to meet benchmarks tied to long-term price and production averages, they could receive payouts. The USDA and CBO made their estimates before crop prices fell on record harvest expectations.
  The farm bill’s new programs were meant to cost taxpayers less by replacing a nearly two-decade-old scheme of direct cash payments to farmers, which were about $5 billion per year and were made regardless of need.
  Due to ample supplies, corn prices have fallen well below the long-term average price used as a benchmark for one of the farm bill’s programs. This year’s bumper harvest may not be large enough to compensate for the price falls, and revenues for some farmers could be low enough to trigger payments.
  Beginning November 17, farmers were able to start signing up for the programs. Most participants will be the farm families who own and operate about 98 percent of all U.S. farms.

Farm bill implementation progressing well, ag secretary says

Significant progress is being made on implementing the 2014 farm bill, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said April 3. The bill, also known as the Agricultural Act of 2014, was signed into law by President Obama on February 7 and is touted to reform agricultural policy, reduce the deficit, and help grow the economy.
"We are making tremendous progress implementing the new farm bill," said Secretary Vilsack. "This law is critically important to America's farmers and ranchers and to our nation's economy. Every USDA agency is working diligently to implement the farm bill's new provisions quickly and effectively."
With 12 titles and over 450 provisions, the farm bill drives food, farm, conservation, trade, research, energy policies and more. Implementing such a large piece of legislation within the mandated timeline requires a coordinated effort across all areas of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Immediately after enactment, USDA established a farm bill implementation team composed of key sub-cabinet officials and experts from every mission area of the Department to put new programs in place and make mandated reforms to existing programs. 
USDA also launched a website that provides details on farm bill implementation in one convenient location and the Economic Research Service launched a website highlighting some of the economic implications of the new programs and provisions.
In the weeks since enactment, USDA held 12 outreach and listening sessions to share information and hear from stakeholders on the 2014 farm bill implementation process. 
Important progress has been made on every title of the farm bill including updates to risk management tools, modifications to farm loan programs, announcements regarding available funds for agricultural research and much more.
USDA has made providing long-awaited disaster relief to farmers and ranchers a top priority and quick implementation on relief programs is within sight. Beginning April 15, producers will be able to enroll in the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program. 
USDA is also highly focused on providing timely educational materials on new risk management programs to farmers so they can make informed business decisions.  Announcements on new agriculture research partnerships, conservation and nutrition programs, and other farm bill provisions will continue to be made in the coming weeks and months.

Federal insurance to cover poultry flocks under consideration

Is it feasible for chicken and turkey flocks to be covered under a federal crop insurance plan? A forthcoming study called for in the 2014 farm bill may answer that question.
The farm bill, which was signed into law on February 7, includes an amendment that calls for a study of whether a federal program should be launched that would insure poultry producers for flock losses in the case of a disaster, whether it would be a disease outbreak, weather-related disaster or a financial disaster, such as a poultry processor bankruptcy.
The amendment including the poultry insurance study was championed by Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga. Both Coons and Chambliss are members of the Senate Chicken Caucus.
Insurance for poultry flocks would have helped growers for Allen Family Foods when the company went bankrupt in 2011, Coons said during a news conference on February 18.
"Many other segments of agriculture benefit from crop insurance," Coons said. "Poultry's something where there is no such product available. There's no federal role in providing for that ... We're trying to encourage young folks to get into this segment. We want to help them manage risk in a responsible way."
The amendment doesn't include any estimate of what a poultry crop insurance program might cost, according to reports. The federal crop insurance program for corn, wheat and other seed crops cost $5.9 billion in federal funds in the most recent fiscal year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, or 3.8 percent of the USDA's annual budget.
National Chicken Council President Mike Brown, who also participated in the press conference, said he supports the study, saying an insurance program could help growers "when their flocks are disrupted."

President Obama signs US farm bill into law

U.S. President Barack Obama on February 7 signed the 2014 farm bill into law during a visit to Michigan State University. The bipartisan legislation seeks to end direct subsidies to farmers and cut food stamps, while expanding government-backed crop insurance plans.
The five-year farm bill, named the Agricultural Act of 2014, passed the House on January 29 by a 251-166 vote and the Senate on February 4 by a 68-32 vote. The Agricultural Act of 2014 replaces the most recent version of the farm bill, an extension of the 2008 farm bill that expired in 2013.
Touting the versatility of the farm bill, the president compared the bill's diverse functions to a Swiss Army knife.
"It helps rural communities grow. It gives farmers some certainty. It puts in place important reforms," said Obama.
Now that the Agricultural Act of 2014 has been signed into law, it will be swiftly put into action, said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
"We are going to be focusing as much of our time and resources as we possibly can in implementing all of the various provisions of the farm bill as quickly, as efficiently, as correctly as possible," stated Vilsack.
Lawmakers had been hashing out different versions of the farm bill throughout much of 2013. The U.S. Senate passed its first version of the farm bill on June 10, while the House passed a different version of the bill on July 11. The bill then moved to a bipartisan conference committee consisting of members from both houses, which began formulating a compromise bill in October.
The King amendment, which was included in the House's first version of the farm bill, did not make it into the final version of the bill. Named after author Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, the amendment would have had the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens.
Despite the exclusion of the King amendment, King did vote for the final version of the farm bill.

US Senate approves farm bill, sends ag legislation to president

The U.S. Senate on February 4 voted overwhelmingly to approve the bipartisan farm bill by a vote of 68-32. The 2014 farm bill reduces the deficit by $23 billion and represents the most significant reform of American agriculture policy in decades, according to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

The farm bill was approved 251-166 by the House on January 29, and now awaits a signature from President Barack Obama. Obama is expected to sign the bill into law on February 7 during a visit to Stabenow's home state, according to an Associated Press report.

"This isn't your father's farm bill.  It is a bill for our future that grows our agriculture economy, helps provide greater access to healthy Michigan-grown foods, preserves our land and water, and cuts unnecessary spending. The farm bill is a rare example of a major bipartisan jobs bill and a bipartisan deficit reduction bill," Stabenow said. "We were also able to protect food assistance for families in need of support, while finding savings solely by focusing on fraud and misuse.

"It's been a long road, with many challenges.  I'm very proud that we maintained strong bipartisanship throughout this entire process.  In the end, Congress came together to support 16 million American jobs, save taxpayers billions and implement the most significant reforms to agriculture programs in decades."

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack praised the passage of the bill, which he said "will allow the proud men and women who feed millions around the world to invest confidently in the future."

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., added: I am pleased the Senate passed the conference report and put us another step closer to enacting a new farm bill. I commend Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran on their efforts throughout this process. We worked together to give certainty and sound policy to our agricultural producers; deliver taxpayers billions of dollars in savings; and provide consumers the affordable and reliable food supply they have grown accustomed to."

The 2014 farm bill, named the Agricultural Act of 2014, would replace the most current farm bill, an extension of the 2008 farm bill, which expired in the fall of 2013.

House easily passes farm bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a nearly $1 trillion farm bill on January 29 that ends a direct subsidy to farmers and cuts food stamps, while expanding government-backed crop insurance programs.
The measure passed 251-166. The bill is more than a year overdue after congressional negotiators struggled to forge a compromise.
The Senate is expected to pass the bill, and as easily as next week. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill.
The bill affects about 16 million jobs in the agricultural industry and can affect major agricultural companies' businesses.
The agriculture committees estimate the bill will save about $23 billion over 10 years, while the Congressional Budget Office, using a different measurement, has estimated savings of about $16 billion over a decade.

The previous farm bill, which passed in 2008, expired in September after a one-year extension.

Farm bill agreement will be unveiled in January 2014, says senator

Sen. Mike Johanns says a compromise on the farm bill should be expected in January 2014.
Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., believes the farm bill conference committee will soon hash out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the farm bill. The Senate Agriculture Committee member, in an email newsletter, said he is confident an agreement on the farm bill will be unveiled in January 2014.
The House and Senate during the summer of 2013 passed versions of the farm bill. But the two bills differ on how much to cut the nation's food stamp program and how to restructure farm subsidies. The House version of the farm bill also contains the King amendment, proposed by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. The King amendment  has the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including  California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens. The Senate farm bill does not contain the King amendment.
The current farm bill, an extension of the 2008 farm bill, was set to expire in 2013. However, the House on December 11 approved another extension.
Johanns, a first-term senator who has already announced he will not seek re-election, is a former Nebraska governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as secretary under President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007.

House approves extension of farm bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an extension of the farm bill until the end of January to allow more time to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate versions of the farm bill, both of which were approved during the summer of 2013. The proposed bills are currently being negotiated by a conference committee.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has told the Associated Press he thinks a farm bill extension is unnecessary and the Senate will not pass a farm bill extension.
The House and Senate versions of the farm bill differ on how much to cut the nation's food stamp program and how to restructure farm subsidies. The House version of the farm bill also contains the King amendment, proposed by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. The King amendment  has the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including  California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens. The Senate farm bill does not contain the King amendment.
The current farm bill is an extension of the 2008 farm bill. 

House ag committee chair seeks to extend farm bill through January

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas is planning legislation to extend the most recent farm bill through April. The most current farm bill was initially passed in 2008.
After the House and Senate passed their own versions of a new farm bill during the summer of 2013, the bill has since moved on to a conference committee to enable the two Houses to hash out the differences between the two pieces of legislation.
With the calendar year about to run out, Lucas said he believes it would be better to extend the most recent farm bill, rather than to rush to pass a new farm bill.
"We have made great progress on the farm bill and continue to have productive meetings," Lucas stated December 11 after meeting with other Congressional agriculture principals."There are still some outstanding issues that we are addressing. I am confident we'll work through them and finish a farm bill in January. Concurrent with our ongoing discussions this week, I will file legislation to extend the current farm bill through January to allow us to finish our work without the threat that permanent law will be implemented. Having this option on the table is the responsible thing to do in light of our tight deadline."

Ag committee leader upbeat about farm bill’s chances of passage

Collin Peterson, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, expressed optimism that a farm bill can be passed in 2013. Peterson is a Democrat from Minnesota.
Peterson, in his weekly email newsletter, stated on December 6 that he met with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran earlier in the week, and "some good progress on farm bill negotiations" has been made.
"We're continuing discussions and I'm somewhat optimistic for this coming week," Peterson said.
The current farm bill, an extension of the 2008 farm bill, expired October 1, but many of the current bill's programs remain active until the end of 2013.
The 2013 farm bill is currently in a farm bill conference committee, which consists of members from both houses, including Peterson, Lucas, Stabenow and Cochran. The committee is hashing out differences between the House and Senate versions of the 2013 farm bill.

King amendment puts US, Iowa agriculture secretaries at odds

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is criticizing U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who has spoken out against the King amendment, which is part of the current farm bill negotiations.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has defended the King amendment, saying  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is wrong for being skeptical of the amendment that is part of the ongoing farm bill negotiations. The King amendment  has the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including  California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens.
The State of California and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are among the entities that have opposed the King amendment, proposed by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa.
Vilsack, on November 18, said the amendment was "frankly a bit troublesome," adding it would create legal challenges and confusion in the marketplace. Northey looks at the King amendment differently.
"It is very troublesome that Secretary Vilsack appears to be siding with California and HSUS rather than standing up for all farmers producing legal and safe agriculture products, said Northey, also an Iowa Republican. "I would hope and expect Secretary Vilsack to be supportive of laws that ensure consumers have access to legal and safe products.  USDA inspectors approve the sale of egg products.  If eggs are safe to be sold in Iowa and around the country they should be able to be sold in California; that is all this amendment is trying to assure. California should not be allowed to dictate production methods to the rest of the country. This has the makings of an internal U.S. trade war. If it starts with eggs, you can be sure it won't end with eggs."
The King amendment is included in the farm bill approved by the House, but it is excluded from the Senate version of the farm bill. The farm bill is presently being hashed out by a conference committee, consisting of members from each house. Northey said if Vilsack truly has concerns about the King amendment, he should work to address them while the farm bill is in conference committee instead of speaking out against it.

House farm bill conference committee members named

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner has named the House farm bill conference committee members, clearing the way for farm bill negotiations to begin. Among the committee members, who were announced on October 12 are 17 Republicans and 12 Democrats.
Republican House appointees are Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, Steve King, Randy Neugebarger, Mike Rogers, Michael Conaway, Glenn Thompson, Austin Scott, Rick Crawford, Martha Roby, Kristi Noem, Jeff Denham, Steve Southerland, Ed Royce, Tom Marino, Dave Camp and Sam Johnson. Democrats include Collin Peterson, Mike McIntyre, Jim Costa, Tim Walz, Kurt Schrader, Jim McGovern, Suzan DelBene, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Filemon Vela, Marcia Fudge, Eliot Engel and Sandy Levin.
"I am pleased to be at this point in the farm bill process where we are about to begin negotiations with our friends in the Senate and put a final bill together," said Lucas. "This has been a long and challenging process, but that does not discount the product we have achieved with billions of dollars in savings and reforms, and policy that works for all of agriculture all across the country. There are challenging issues yet to overcome, but we have a solid team of negotiators in place. I am confident we can reach consensus and send a five-year farm bill to the president."
Senate conference committee members, previously announced, include Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, Thad Cochran, Pat Roberts, Patrick Leahy, Tom Harkin, Amy Klobuchar, Max Baucus, Serrod Brown, Amy Klobuchar, Saxby Chambliss, John Hoeven and John Boozman.
The Senate on June 10 passed its version of the farm bill, which would expand government subsidies for crop insurance, rice and peanuts while making small cuts to food stamps. The legislation is estimated to save about $2.4 billion a year on farm and nutrition programs, including across-the-board cuts that took effect earlier in 2013.
The House passed a different version of the bill on July 11 that did not include food stamp provisions. The House version also included the King Amendment, which would have the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens. The House then on September 19 passed its second piece of the farm bill, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act, which specifically addresses food stamp reform and potentially saves $40 billion.

House speaker assures Congresswoman he’ll name farm bill conferees

Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., said U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner has assured her that he will appoint members to the House-Senate farm bill conference committee before October ends. With Senate farm bill conference committee members already selected, the naming of house committee members will allow formal farm bill negotiations to begin.
"Both the House and the Senate have passed farm bills, and it is time to begin conference negotiations and finish our work on a five-year farm bill," said Noem, a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
The most recent farm bill, an extension of the 2008 farm bill, expired October 1.
Senate conference committee members are Agriculture Committee Chairperson Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Thad Cochran, R-Miss.; Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Max Baucus D-Mont.; Serrod Brown, D-Ohio; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.; John Boozman, R-Ark.; and John Boozman, R-N.D.
The Senate on June 10 passed its version of the farm bill, which would expand government subsidies for crop insurance, rice and peanuts while making small cuts to food stamps. The legislation is estimated to save about $2.4 billion a year on farm and nutrition programs, including across-the-board cuts that took effect earlier in 2013.
The House passed a different version of the bill on July 11 that did not include food stamp provisions. The House version also included the King Amendment, which would have the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens. The House then on September 19 passed its second piece of the farm bill, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act, which specifically addresses food stamp reform and potentially saves $40 billion.
Noem, whose home state was hit by a devastating blizzard, said she has learned first-hand of the harm in a lack of a farm bill, coupled by a lack of USDA staff during the government shutdown.
"I spoke (October 8) at our weekly Republican meeting and described to my colleagues the devastation in western South Dakota that has resulted from the weekend storm. The lack of a comprehensive farm bill leaves all of our producers without the certainty they need. This is especially true for our livestock producers who are currently without the protection of a livestock disaster program. After further conversations with the speaker today, I appreciate him confirming that he plans to move forward and appoint conferees within the next week. We need to move quickly to get a five-year farm bill completed."

Expiration of farm bill frustrates agriculture sectors

The current farm bill, originally passed in 2008 and renewed in 2012, expired at midnight October 1. While both the House and Senate have passed its own version of a farm bill in 2013, prospects for a new farm bill appear dim to many as dealing with the budget and the federal government shutdown seem to be the dominating topics.
Although the farm bill has expired, some components of the bill renewed in 2012 will remain in place. Most farm programs will continue until the end of 2013 because the programs extend through the crop year.
"Now that the 2008 farm bill extension has expired, farmers once again are left with uncertainty as to the safety net and risk management tools that are important in planning for next year's crop," said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "And come January, consumers once again face the impact of high food costs as decades-old farm policy kicks in."
The Senate on June 10 passed its version of the farm bill, which would expand government subsidies for crop insurance, rice and peanuts while making small cuts to food stamps. The legislation is estimated to save about $2.4 billion a year on farm and nutrition programs, including across-the-board cuts that took effect earlier in 2013.
The House passed a different version of the bill on July 11 that did not include food stamp provisions. The House version also included the King Amendment, which would have the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens. The House then on Sept. 19 passed its second piece of the farm bill, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act, which specifically addresses food stamp reform and potentially saves $40 billion.
"Both the House and Senate agriculture committees have worked hard to put together bipartisan packages that would deliver solid safety net options and comprehensive risk management tools for farmers and ranchers.  It is past time for Congress to let these two committees get back to what they do best - work together in a bipartisan fashion to forge the best new farm bill possible in today's tough political environment," Stallman said.

Efforts to pass Egg Bill not over just yet

Chad Gregory, president, United Egg Producers, said the egg producers may lobby for passage of the Egg Bill again in 2014.

In 2012 and again in 2013, the United Egg Producers (UEP) attempted to have the Egg Bill, legislation based on the UEP’s hen welfare agreement with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), included as an amendment to the Farm Bill. When a new Farm Bill wasn’t passed in 2012, Chad Gregory, president and CEO, UEP, told the audience at the association’s Area 5 meeting in Atlanta that the process essentially had to start over again with the new Congress in 2013.
Gregory said that efforts to have the Egg Bill attached to the Farm Bill as an amendment to the Egg Products Inspection Act failed first in the Senate and later in the House, and that by mid-June of this year, “It was pretty much over.” But now, in late August, it is far from certain that a Farm Bill will be agreed upon by both houses of Congress by the end of the government’s fiscal year, which ends September 30. Gregory said that it is possible that Congress will pass another continuing resolution and that the work on a new Farm Bill will be pushed into 2014.
What happens next?
If the Farm Bill doesn’t pass in 2013, that means the King Amendment is not enacted, and this means that state laws regarding hen housing will impact out-of-state egg producers who wish to ship eggs to states with housing standards. January 1, 2015, is the implementation date for California’s Proposition 2, so decision time is rapidly approaching for producers who supply eggs to California.
The UEP’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the HSUS, which calls for both organizations to work to secure passage of the Egg Bill, is set to expire at the end of September of this year. Gregory said that the UEP and the HSUS have had some preliminary discussions regarding extending the agreement and that both groups expressed interest in an extension. Based on this, Gregory said that if a new Farm Bill isn’t adopted this year, the UEP might be back on Capitol Hill next year lobbying yet again for the Egg Bill. In addition, he said that even if the Farm Bill does pass this year, efforts might be made to find another piece of legislation to attach the Egg Bill to. He said that one congressional aide told him, “Great legislation never passes on the first round.”
Other Options
David Lathem, president, Lathem Farms, and UEP chairman, said that UEP members may need to go back and consider other options for transitioning hens out of conventional cages if efforts to pass the Egg Bill continue to be unsuccessful. Both Lathem and Gregory said that it is more important to be thorough in the search for a solution than it is quick. “We don’t have to be in a hurry to find answers; we need to take our time to find the right answers,” Lathem said.

HSUS urges state legislators to join fight against King amendment

The Humane Society of the United States urged state legislators on August 13 to join the fight against the House version of the farm bill, which includes the King amendment. The King amendment, critics say, has the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws affecting agriculture, including California's Proposition 2, which aims at ending the use of battery cages for laying hens.
The King amendment was included in the House version of the farm bill that passed on July 11. However, it was not part of the Senate farm bill that was approved on June 10. The farm bill's fate is now with a team of negotiators from both the House and Senate.
The Humane Society of the United States, which hosted a press conference with state legislators from the National Conference of State Legislators on August 13, has been successful in getting some state lawmakers to join its fight. The National Conference of State Legislators has sent a letter to both House and Senate committee leaders, urging them to remove the King amendment from the farm bill.
National Conference of State Legislators leaders Rep. Terie Norelli, D-NH, and Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Ore, wrote to Congressional leaders that the King amendment "would preempt vital state agricultural policies designed to protect the safety and well-being of our farmland, waterways, forests and most importantly, our constituents." The two state lawmakers also asserted in the letter that the King amendment would have harmful economic impacts to certain states, according to a news release from the Humane Society of the United States. 

House Republicans mull splitting farm bill

A month after the farm bill was defeated, House Republican leaders are considering splitting it into two separate measures -- one for farm programs and one for food stamps.
It's an attempt to gather support from conservatives who voted against the $100 billion-a-year farm bill, and critics say it could lead to bigger cuts in both farm subsidies and the domestic food aid, according to reports.
Republicans discussed the strategy in a Tuesday caucus meeting, with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., saying for the first time that he would go along with a split bill if leaders could deliver the votes. Republicans were assessing support for the idea, and a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said no decisions had been made on how to revive the bill.
The House rejected the farm bill in June by a vote of 234-195 after some in the GOP complained that the legislation did not cut enough from food stamps. Democrats said the 3 percent cut in food stamps was too much. 

Egg bill excluded from House-approved farm bill

The Farm Bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives July 11 did not include the United Egg Producers/HSUS-backed Egg Bill (H.R. 1731 and S. 820), as the Farm Bill was blocked from further amendment. The King amendment was therefore included in the House-approved bill, which passed with a 216-208 vote
"[United Egg Producers] is disappointed that members of congress have chosen not to include legislation that would save the egg industry. It's an industry worth 7 billion dollars with more than 100,000 employees. The UEP leadership is exploring all possible options that would provide certainty and a sustainable future for U.S. egg farmers," said Chad Gregory, president and CEO, United Egg Producers.
Inclusion of the King measure, from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), disallows a state to restrict movement of agricultural products into the state from other states and was added to the Farm Bill as an amendment by the House Agriculture Committee. Supporters of the Egg Bill have called the King amendment the "anti-Egg Bill" and that it may be found to be unconstitutional if enacted and challenged in court
If the final bill retains the King amendment, the ramifications could extend far beyond interstate egg commerce. It has the potential to nullify more than 150 state laws from various states. Many of these laws deal with animal welfare.
The Farm Bill, which passed without support of House Democrats, now heads to negotiators from both the House and Senate to reconcile the difference between the two bills. The Senate bill passed 66-27 on June 10.

House passes farm bill without food stamp provisions

The U.S. House of Representatives on July 11 passed a scaled-down version of the farm bill after separating controversial legislation concerning food stamp programs from the farm bill.
Republican House leaders scrambled to get the farm bill to the floor and gather enough votes after making a decision to drop the politically sensitive food stamp section of the bill.
The plan faced opposition from Democrats, farm groups and conservative groups. But, Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia led his colleagues to a 216-208 vote after convincing Republicans this was the best chance to get the farm bill passed and erase the embarrassment of when it was defeated on June 20. No Democrats voted in favor of the farm bill.