Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/14/18

The farm bill is expected to be brought to the floor this week and after some tough days, House Ag Chairman Mike Conaway might just have the votes to get his signature legislation through.

As of Friday, Conaway didn't have the votes to pass the bill, H.R. 2 (115). But that seems to have changed over the last few days as some senior Republicans now think Conaway can get there, sources told POLITICO.
It would be a remarkable achievement for Conaway to get a farm bill passed in the House without any — or very little — Democratic support. House Democrats have been urged by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to vote against the legislation over its stricter work requirements on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, forcing Conaway to rely on Republicans to get to the 218 votes needed to pass the bill.

Rules committee gatekeepers: House leadership has scheduled the bill to come to the floor this week. But first, it must pass through the House Rules Committee, which could prove to be testy. The committee will be considering more than 100 amendments, some of which touch on contentious issues such as overhauling the U.S. sugar program and a ban on soda and sugary drinks purchases made with SNAP benefits.

A rundown on the amendments: The sugar amendment, in particular, could prove a headache for Conaway if it gets approved, write Pro Ag's Helena Bottemiller Evich and Catherine Boudreau. Rep. Virginia Foxx has said she wants the chance for her proposal -- the Sugar Policy Modernization Act, H.R. 4265 (115) -- to get a fair hearing.

The rules panel will meet Tuesday at 5 p.m. to set the terms of the farm bill debate, and again on Wednesday at 3 p.m. to decide which amendments can be considered on the House floor.