Farm Bill Gets Taken To The Woodshed

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, General, Specialty Crops

Here is an interesting additional story with a Florida twist, about the House failure to pass the Farm Bill, as reported by the News Service of Florida:
A day after Gov. Rick Scott urged Congress to let states impose work requirements on people who seek food assistance, the U.S. House killed a wide-ranging farm bill that would have included the proposal. A combination of Republicans and Democrats voted 234 to 195 on Thursday to reject the proposal, with some opponents worried about cuts to food stamps. Scott on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S. House Speaker John Boehner expressing support for an amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla. The governor indicated Florida would like to require people who seek assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to show that they are actively searching for work, similar to a requirement in the state’s unemployment-assistance program. “U.S. Rep. Southerland’s proposal recognizes the need to reform long-running government-assistance programs to ensure their availability for future generations while allowing states to modernize and tailor their administration of these federal programs,” Scott wrote. Southerland’s amendment was approved along almost straight party lines Thursday before the overall bill died.
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