It appears House leaders have decided to drop food stamps from the farm bill.
According the DC based Roll Call blog, the House will work through the farm-only portion of the bill and a vote could come yet this week.
The blog also quotes a GOP leadership aide saying the Rules Committee is expected to post the text this evening and then meet Wednesday.
An email from a House Ag Committee staff member to Brownfield states it is not the preference of Chairman Frank Lucas to split the bill but he would support it as long as it can pass the House.
Lucas said earlier today, "I'm willing to do what it takes to get a farm bill done." And if that means doing it unconventionally, he says "maybe we got to give it a try."
Congressman Marlin Stutzman of Indiana, a fourth-generation farmer has been one of the biggest proponents in splitting the farm bill into separate bills on farm and food stamp policy. In reacting to today's announcement, he says, "Congress has a historic opportunity to end business as usual by considering a farm-only farm bill instead of passing a trillion dollar welfare bill that's a farm bill in name only."
The nutrition portion of the bill would then be dealt with at a later time.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com