April 19, 2018 - Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after the House Committee on Agriculture passed H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, the Republicans’ Farm Bill proposal, by a party line vote of 26 to 20:
“For decades, Members of Congress have reached across the table to craft strong, bipartisan Farm Bills that reflect the realities and meet the needs of America’s rural and urban communities. Yet the Republicans have rejected this 
storied tradition, and written a partisan Farm Bill that fails to deliver much-needed solutions for America’s farmers and food insecure families.
“The Republican bill fails America’s farmers at a time of great challenge and economic uncertainty. Instead of protecting farmers from plummeting prices and the dangers of the Trump Administration’s tariffs, Republicans are pulling the rug out from under farmers and ranchers. Republicans are moving to kill good-paying rural jobs, weaken the farmer safety net and shift opportunity away from America’s small towns with cuts to critical rural development and energy initiatives.
“Every dollar in SNAP for hungry families returns money to farmers, to our economy and to the Treasury. But after the GOP tax scam’s giveaways for the wealthiest, Republicans are slashing tens of billions from SNAP, threatening to leave millions of seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, students and families without the means to put food on the table. Instead of making smart investments, Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars on vast, untested and unworkable bureaucracies that will increase hunger and poverty across the country.
“Democrats cannot support this radical, harmful Republican bill. Rural America and hard-working families deserve a balanced Farm Bill that reflects the reality of the struggling farm economy for the 16 million men and women of agriculture and the nearly 41 million Americans who are food insecure. Democrats will continue to fight to give America’s farmers and food-insecure families A Better Deal, with Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future.”
Source: Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
Perdue Statement on House Committee Passage of 2018 Farm Bill
April 19, 2018 - Washington, D.C., - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding approval of the 2018 Farm Bill by the House Committee on Agriculture:
“I commend Chairman Conaway and the House Committee on Agriculture for passing a comprehensive Farm Bill out of the Committee. The bill closely aligns with the Farm Bill Principles released by USDA in January and is nearly identical to 
the legislation first introduced last week. We are encouraged that the Committee heard the voices of their constituents, who want to preserve and enhance programs contained in the 2014 Farm Bill, as I learned in my conversations with farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers in 35 states in the last twelve months. As the bill heads to the floor, I hope the House recognizes the long-term certainty it provides for America’s farmers, just as it preserves nutrition programs for people who need help feeding themselves and their families. USDA stands ready to provide technical assistance as the bill progresses in the House, and we look forward to working with our friends in the Senate as well. As Republicans and Democrats have farm interests in their own districts and states, we are hopeful that the 2018 Farm Bill can move forward in a bipartisan manner.”
Source: USDA
