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Heritage hints at farm bill storm
Story Date: 4/18/2018
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Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/17/18
The Freedom Caucus is so far mum on how its members rate the House farm bill and its provisions revamping the food stamp program. But the conservative Heritage Foundation has signaled disapproval, saying that as it reviews the proposed legislation, "significant concerns are emerging on the overall package." A more detailed analysis is coming, the group told Hill staff on Monday.
In the last farm bill, Heritage called for separating the food stamp and farm policy sections because it believed the measure failed to rein in spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, and "demonstrated an inability to advance reforms." The House did split the bill into two, which delayed it from being passed by the chamber, then it was later put back together. The group is hinting that it may take the same position this time around. "If the House Agriculture Committee and leadership are committed to advancing meaningful conservative reforms, Heritage Action is eager to partner with them because reforms -- not process -- has always been the goal," the group said in an email to aides.
"However, if keeping the two components of the bill together results in perpetuating the status quo (or worse), Heritage Action will oppose the bill and highlight the broken nature of the process."
House Ag Chairman Mike Conaway will need to get the Freedom Caucus on board in the absence of Democrats supporting the legislation. Per marching orders from House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, it's unlikely that many Democrats will vote for the bill due to its changes to SNAP.
Markup approaches: The House Agriculture Committee will mark up the bill on Wednesday morning. Amendments were due last night. Sources tell MA it might not be a very long session. Conaway said Monday evening that the committee had received close to 20 amendments, all of them Republican. Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, ranking member of the Nutrition Subcommittee, told reporters Monday he's not planning to offer any amendments, but Democrats were meeting Monday night to discuss their strategy.
Once the bill gets out of committee, Conaway said he'll spend the next week whipping votes with the goal of getting the bill onto the House floor in May. "Once we get the bill done and we see what it is, we get the amendments folded in, then we'll start having the normal whip operation... to create the positive drumbeat to get this passed."
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