House Republicans are trying to pass a $1.5 trillion farm bill that critics across the political spectrum say will squeeze farmers, weaken protections against pesticides and other potential toxins, and cut food stamps, putting poorer Americans at risk of going hungry.
The bill — the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, which will be debated in committee starting Thursday — seeks to accomplish its objectives not only by hamstringing the federal government, but by curbing the power of states and rural communities to set their own policies and standards, including on the welfare of animals.
Meanwhile, the country's largest and wealthiest producers stand to benefit from the bill's allocation of massive subsidies and the removal of regulations. Industry groups representing them have praised the bill, pitting them against a long list of advocacy and farmer organizations who argue that must-pass farm legislation should not be skewed in favor of big agribusiness.
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"America's farmers and consumers need forward-looking policies that build a sustainable, resilient, and fair food system," said Food & Water Watch policy analyst Rebecca Wolf. "Instead, House leadership seems poised to take us backwards, trading state-level gains for a few more bucks in the pockets of corporate donors. Congress must move beyond partisan bickering, and get to work on a Farm Bill that cuts handouts to Big Ag and factory farms."
House Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., claimed that the bill "is the product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all members of the House, and is responsive to the needs of farm country through........