The Farm Bill negotiations and hearings are going on, and the largest piece of food and agriculture legislation is being shaped. During my trip to Washington, D.C., I had the chance to meet with Iowa Senator Joni Ernst to talk about several important agriculture issues, including the Farm Bill. Iowa, as well as the rest of the country, has a vested interest in getting this legislation right.
The current Farm Bill is looking at a hefty price tag. While Senator Ernst knows that there are so many necessities in that bill that must be covered, including SNAP Benefits and Crop Insurance, the price tag of $1.3 trillion is one to make anybody?s heart skip a beat. She starts by telling us that the track they are on is ?good.?
The farm safety nets are always easier to negotiate when commodity prices are down, but the Senator adds that they are working to make other lawmakers understand that high commodity prices, now, are not guaranteeing high profits.
SNAP is a large piece of the program. Senator Ernst says that she wants to see this program sustained, especially in a tough economy, but she also wants to make sure that it isn?t being abused. That it is a means to help people out when times are tough, or when they are facing permanent situations that make securing an income difficult.
What she doesn?t want to see is the benefits being used as a long-term financial plan for people who are able to go back to work. She talks about how those people need help when times are tough, but that also includes other programs that can help them rejoin the workforce once again.
The Farm Bill hearings are continuing on Capitol Hill today.
