Washington, D.C. – The Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 considered today by the U.S. Senate includes some important and historic reforms that will improve federal food and farm policy, but it lacks other common-sense measures that would have better protected taxpayers, improved transparency in the crop insurance program and created a level playing field for family farmers, the Environmental Working Group said in a statement.
Scott Faber, EWG’s Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, said:
No legislation has more of an impact on our food, our farms and our families than the federal farm bill. The Senate’s latest bill includes some important reforms that will require farmers who receive crop insurance subsidies to adopt basic environmental protections, will subject recipients to a modest means test and end the long-discredited and wasteful direct payments. However, both the Senate and House Agriculture Committee-passed bills plow most of the savings from ending direct payments into expanded crop insurance subsidies and price guarantees for the largest and most successful farm businesses and needlessly cut nutrition and conservation programs designed to help the hungry and the environment.
What's more, Senate leaders refused to permit consideration of other bipartisan reform amendments that would have better protected taxpayers, improved transparency in the crop insurance program and created a level playing field for family farmers. Consumers and family farmers deserve a better and more transparent farm bill than the one considered by the full Senate today. We look forward to the adoption of these important reforms when the House considers the bill later this month.
