“The defeat of the farm bill
— after both parties were privately bullish it would pass with large margins —
shows, once again, how massively dysfunctional the House and its leadership has
become. And it plainly reveals that a bipartisan rewrite of the nation’s
complex and politically charged immigration laws are a pipe dream in the House,
at least for now. Preventing a government shutdown and debt limit fight are not
far behind.” Westcott/POLITICO 6/21/13
The bill, which includes
billions in direct farm subsidies, would have cost $100 billion per year for five
years if made into law. Approximately 80% of that cost is related to the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), e.g., food
stamps. The food stamp program has gone
from spending $18 billion in 2000 to $78 billion in 2011 – including a growth
of $40 billion between 2007 and 2011.
Praise God for a dysfunctional
congress! The farm bill is little more
than a giant agriculture welfare program, I say giant because it is the Big Ag
companies that get most of the subsides, but why all the fuss this time?
The adoption of Florida GOP
Rep. Steve Southerland’s amendment to institute work requirements for
recipients of food stamps is why! 62
Republicans (RINOs) joined 172 Democrats to vote against the bill. Republicans
had 171 of their members voting ‘yes,’ and Democrats had 24 in favor.
“…how massively dysfunctional
the House and its leadership has become.”
I don’t know about you, but when I vote for a representative he does not
get my vote because I thing he is going to adhere to the House’s leadership
will, rather it is the will of those who elected him for whom he should cast
his vote yea or nay on any bill before him.
So the bill bit the dust
because 234 of our representative thank it is demeaning to ask those who accept
food stamps to work for it, I guess for then it is to stay free but not for the
tax payer. Not to worry though I am sure
that the farm bill’s ghost will be resurrected and enacted for Big Ag needs its
fix.
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