Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/8/18

Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said that conservative members could support the House farm bill with some tweaks "to make sure it reflects conservative principles," reports POLITICO's Liz Crampton and Rachael Bade. 

What they want: Meadows said following a meeting late Monday night that Freedom Caucus members would seek changes to work requirements for food stamp recipients to give states greater sway to create their own tailored jobs program. Members have also discussed adjustments to the sugar program and a fix to the "marriage penalty" - the potential drop in benefits that occurs when two recipients combine their incomes which some say discourages marriage. But Meadows added that he doesn't know if "that's a top ten priority." 

Why it matters: The support of conservatives could give Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway the votes he needs to pass the bill. GOP leaders know they will have to rely almost entirely on their own members, leaving them little room for defections. That task has been complicated by the fierce opposition of several conservative and libertarian groups, including Heritage Action and those backed by the Koch brothers, which contend the House bill does not do enough to rein in unneeded subsidies to farmers.

Perdue pitch: Meanwhile, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue rallied the GOP whip team Monday night, urging them to emphasize the importance of helping farmers - particularly given the escalation of trade threats with China. The soybean industry has been especially hard hit, Perdue argued, and now is not the time to be squabbling internally, according to one Republican in the room

"The message from Secretary Purdue and Chairman [Mike] Conaway was that Rural America is hurting right now, with a 50 percent drop in commodity prices in the last five years, and that now more than ever we need to make sure the safety net is there for our farmers," said Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), who was in the whip meeting.

Whipping Wednesday: House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) plans to begin whipping the bill on Wednesday. Before then, Conaway said he'll hold two listening sessions and work to get more Republicans on board. Conaway will discuss the farm bill at an event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute this morning.