House Republicans slash food, keep farm subsidies

[Antiderivative]

The Republican-led House voted to slash domestic and international food aid Thursday while rejecting cuts to farm subsidies.

Other highlights of this piss-poor bill.

—Directs the Agriculture Department to rewrite rules it issued in January meant to make school meals healthier. Republicans say the new rules, the first major overhaul of school lunches in 15 years, are too costly.

—Forces USDA to report to Congress every time officials travel to promote the department’s “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” program, which supports locally grown food, and discourages the department from giving research grants to support local food systems. Large agribusiness has been critical of the department’s focus on these smaller food producers.

—Prevents USDA from moving forward with new rules that would make it easier for smaller farmers and ranchers to sue large livestock companies on antitrust grounds. The proposed rules are meant to address the growing concentration of corporate power in agriculture.

—Delays for more than a year new rules for reporting trades in derivatives, the complex financial instruments blamed for helping precipitate the 2008 financial crisis. A Republican amendment adopted Thursday would require the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which funded in the bill, to first have other rules in place to facilitate its collection of derivatives market data.

—Prevents the FDA from approving genetically modified salmon for human consumption, a decision set for later this year.

—Questions the scope of Obama administration initiatives to put calories on menus and limit the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

House keeps farm subsidies, cuts food aid as it passes food and farm spending bill - The Washington Post

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

One thread on this subject wasn't good enough for you? Ya need that liberal lime light eh?

 

[Antiderivative]

One thread on this subject wasn't good enough for you? Ya need that liberal lime light eh?

Sorry, ignore it and lock it. I didn't realize that there was another thread on this.

However, I can see that it peeves you.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Haha no biggie. I've had a few drinks and I'm just being a bit of a prick.
Carry on my misguided liberal friend....

 

[Antiderivative]

Carry on my misguided liberal friend....

Guaranteed that I am more fiscally conservative and limited government than you.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Okie dokie. You and I know each other so well we can say things like that eh? And I thought I was the half drunk one lol

 

[Anachronism]

What they should have done was to completely remove BOTH SETS OF subsidies and make major cuts to the USDA as well.

 

[waltky]

Granny says don't worry `bout dem foreign farmers - take care of `merican farmers first...

US Senate Ends One Farm Subsidy, Adds Another
June 10, 2013 > The U.S. Senate has cut a $5 billion-per-year farm subsidy program as part of a bill shaping U.S. farm policy and much more. But lawmakers have added new subsidies that critics say could end up hurting other countries’ farmers more than the old program did.

The $955 billion Farm Bill passed the Senate with a wide, bipartisan majority. It cuts about $24 billion from the budget over 10 years, in part by doing away with $5 billion a year in what are called “direct payments.” Farmers got those payments in good years and bad. High crop prices, historic farm profits and tight federal budgets made that subsidy politically unpopular. Getting rid of it was one big change in the new bill, says Agriculture Committee chairwoman Debbie Stabenow. “It’s a reform bill, it ends subsidies and moves us in the direction of risk management and we are very proud of the work that we have done," said Stabenow.

The Senate bill helps farmers manage the risks of bad weather as well as bad markets. It offers crop insurance to farmers raising crops that have not previously been eligible. And it provides farmers with payments if prices drop below a certain point. Stabenow says it’s intended to help the farmers who provide the U.S. with a safe, affordable food supply.

But critics say the bill goes too far. Montana State University economist Vince Smith says the new guarantee against market drops could get the U.S. in trouble with the World Trade Organization. “When prices fall from the current levels, subsidies to a whole plethora of crops go up. Well, that’s exactly when countries like Brazil will bring trade dispute cases claiming price suppression in world markets," said Smith.

Brazil already has won a WTO case against the United States over cotton subsidies. Smith says the new Farm Bill could revive that dispute. The bill also permits $60 million to be spent buying emergency food aid closer to where a crisis is happening, rather than shipping food from the U.S. Supporters say it’s faster and cheaper and could save more lives.

Eric Munoz with the anti-poverty group Oxfam says it’s a step forward. But he points out that it’s just $60 million out of a food aid budget of more than $1 billion. “It is a very small portion of a relatively large program. So I think we’re just at the beginning, really, of creating the kind of flexibility for food aid that we’d like to see on a much larger scale," said Munoz. But farm groups, food processors and shippers object to changes that they say will cost American jobs. The changes are not included in the version of the Farm Bill the House of Representatives is expected to begin debating in the next few weeks. And the House and Senate are even further apart on domestic food aid programs.

US Senate Ends One Farm Subsidy, Adds Another

 

[Mr. H.]

Why on earth does an industry such as agriculture deserve such welfare when they consistently export hundreds of millions of tons of grains each year?

 

[Two Thumbs]

The Republican-led House voted to slash domestic and international food aid Thursday while rejecting cuts to farm subsidies.

Other highlights of this piss-poor bill.

—Directs the Agriculture Department to rewrite rules it issued in January meant to make school meals healthier. Republicans say the new rules, the first major overhaul of school lunches in 15 years, are too costly.

—Forces USDA to report to Congress every time officials travel to promote the department’s “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” program, which supports locally grown food, and discourages the department from giving research grants to support local food systems. Large agribusiness has been critical of the department’s focus on these smaller food producers.

—Prevents USDA from moving forward with new rules that would make it easier for smaller farmers and ranchers to sue large livestock companies on antitrust grounds. The proposed rules are meant to address the growing concentration of corporate power in agriculture.

—Delays for more than a year new rules for reporting trades in derivatives, the complex financial instruments blamed for helping precipitate the 2008 financial crisis. A Republican amendment adopted Thursday would require the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which funded in the bill, to first have other rules in place to facilitate its collection of derivatives market data.

—Prevents the FDA from approving genetically modified salmon for human consumption, a decision set for later this year.

—Questions the scope of Obama administration initiatives to put calories on menus and limit the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

House keeps farm subsidies, cuts food aid as it passes food and farm spending bill - The Washington Post

"What a waste.

except for keeping the gen fucked food off my plate