The House Agriculture Committee worked late into the night Wednesday marking up its version of the farm bill. The bill passed by a vote of 36 to 10.
As expected, the big issue was food stamps. In the end, the committee voted to uphold an estimated $20.5 billion in 10-year savings from nutrition programs.
The committee, after a lengthy discussion, defeated an attempt to change the Dairy Security Act in the farm bill. There were no changes to other commodity programs as proposed by House Ag Committee leadership.
Iowa Representative Steve King was successful in attaching his "Protect Interstate Commerce Act,' which would bar states from imposing their own animal-welfare standards on eggs, meat and other ag products brought in from other states.
The amendment is aimed at preventing farmers in other states from having to comply with measures such as California's Prop 2 initiative that requires farms to provide more space to hens, hogs and other livestock.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com