House approves $867 billion farm bill
WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon approved the final version of a $867 billion farm bill.
The measure passed 369-47.
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 reauthorizes and modifies Department Agriculture programs through FY 2023. The programs include commodity support, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development and crop insurance. The legislation removes the federal prohibition on the make and sale of hemp products.
The legislation does not contain the more than $20 billion in food stamp cuts that were included in a farm bill the House passed in June. The provision would have required able-bodied-adults aged 18-59 to either be employed or receive employment training for at least 20 hours per week to receive food stamps.
The Senate later defeated that bill in a voice vote and passed its own version of the farm bill. Differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill were reconciled in a joint conference committee.
The Senate approved the latest version of the farm bill on Tuesday.
The legislation now heads to the president’s desk.
Congress has approved farm bill reauthorization every five years since 1933. The previous farm bill passed in 2014. It expired on Sep. 30.
The rule to begin debate on the farm bill contained a provision that prohibits the House from considering legislation related to U.S. support for Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen until the 116th Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
His work includes coverage of the election of Donald Trump, the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions-as well as that of the Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Larry Hogan, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan has broken stories involving athletic and sexual assault scandals with the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
His original UMBC investigation gained international attention, was featured in People Magazine and he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and local radio stations. Bryan broke subsequent stories documenting UMBC’s omission of a sexual assault on their daily crime log and a federal investigation related to the university’s handling of an alleged sexual assault.