House and Senate Key Vote: Oppose the Farm Bill Conference Report

Jan 29, 2014 by AFP

Dear Senators and Representatives:

On behalf of more than two million Americans for Prosperity activists in all 50 states, I write to urge you to vote NO on the Farm Bill conference report, H.R. 2642. This deal continues the status quo of broken farm programs and unchecked food stamp spending.

I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2642, the Farm Bill conference report. Americans for Prosperity will include this vote in our congressional scorecard.

This deal authorizes $956 billion in spending over the next decade, representing a 49 percent increase over the 2008 farm law. A closer look at the CBO score reveals that most of the changes in budget authority happen in the out-years in the budget window; 74 percent of the savings happen in years 6-10. These savings will never be realized since Farm Bill programs will expire after year five and we’ll be on to the next Farm Bill by then—one that, like its predecessors, increases spending in the early years and pushes the phantom savings to the later years.

This deal includes hardly any of the free market reforms that AFP has called for over the past two years. Although it eliminates the widely-criticized direct payment program, it expands a number of other corporate welfare programs such as crop insurance premium subsidies and revenue guarantees. It reauthorizes programs such as the redundant catfish inspection program.

It also disappoints on nutrition program reforms. The deal cements the unholy alliance of food and farm programs by maintaining the same authorization schedule. Separating these two parts would allow Congress to critically evaluate each part without being distracted by the other. Closing the so-called LIHEAP loophole is a silver lining; however, the conference report does not eliminate categorical eligibility completely.

I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2642, the Farm Bill conference report. Americans for Prosperity will include this vote in our congressional scorecard.

Visit our scorecard online: www.AFPscorecard.org

Sincerely,

Christine Harbin Hanson
Federal Affairs Manager
Americans for Prosperity