The U.S. Senate on June 21 passed its version of the new Farm Bill by a vote of 64-35. The Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240) remains largely unchanged from the version the Senate Agriculture Committee passed earlier this spring, according to The Fertilizer Institute (TFI).
The bill features an expanded crop insurance program, which replaces direct payments to farmers with policies sold and serviced by private insurance companies, but heavily subsidized by the federal government. TFI said the “no” votes in the Senate chamber came from fiscal conservatives, joined by senators from the southeastern U.S. who were unhappy with the bill’s treatment of rice and peanut farmers.
Some 73 amendments to the bill were considered during floor debate, out of a total of 304 amendments offered. One week earlier, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) invoked procedures to limit the number of amendments after negotiations stalled over which to include. Among those amendments tabled was one that would have eliminated the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, and replace it with block grants to states to operate their own programs. Another tabled amendment would have repealed the federal price-support program for sugar producers.
TFI was watching several amendments closely, and reported last week that “the most controversial amendments were not considered” when the bill came to a vote. One that was supported by TFI but not included in the final bill was an amendment offered by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) that would have prevented EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from using a pending guidance document to expand federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.
Another amendment supported by TFI but not included in the bill was one offered by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) that would have prevented EPA from regulating agricultural dust. TFI said a third amendment that would have curbed the use of ethanol required under the Renewable Fuel Standard was also not considered.
An amendment offered by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) that would compel farmers to be in compliance with certain conservation requirements in order to be eligible to receive crop insurance premium subsidies was ultimately passed, but on a fairly close vote.
In a June 13 memo to members, TFI said it was following the Chambliss amendment. “Upon closer inspection,” TFI reported on June 21, “it’s not clear how much of an impact this will actually have since these are the same conservation requirements that were already mandatory for participation in the preexisting crop subsidy program.” TFI noted as well that the House Agriculture Committee is not likely to include the Chambliss provision, though that amendment will likely be revisited on the House floor and possibly when the House bill is conference with the Senate version.
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reported in a June 21 statement that the Senate bill cuts some $23 billion from the Farm Bill budget over the next 10 years in an effort to reduce the federal deficit, including eliminating $6.4 billion from conservation programs. EDF expressed concerns about the conservation cuts, but hailed the Senate’s efforts to consolidate conservation programs and utilize local and state governments as conservation partners, while also requiring farmers on environmentally sensitive lands to meet conservation requirements in order to receive the taxpayer-funded crop insurance premium subsidies.
“While these cuts will hurt conservation efforts on the ground, senators made an effort to mitigate the impact of the loss in conservation funding by including policies that will make conservation programs more effective,” EDF said. “Congress must maintain and strengthen its commitment to conservation in this Farm Bill, and one