House Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill
SNAP slashed $294B and Big Farm Subsidies Upped $60B over 10 years
As most of you already know, the House of Representatives passed – by a one-vote margin – a Budget Reconciliation package that cuts hundreds of billions in federal spending on health, nutrition, and many other social programs over the next 10 years. It includes the House Agriculture Committee’s recommendations to slash SNAP benefits by $294 billion – $60 billion more than the committee was required to cut from Farm Bill programs. And all of that $60 billion will go into commodity and crop insurance subsidies that mainly benefit larger scale commodity farms. In addition, the way the reconciliation package is structured removes incentives for Congress to pass a new Farm Bill, and this leaves many USDA research, rural development, marketing, and farmer training and outreach programs at risk of de-funding after September 30, 2025 unless and until the 2018 Farm Bill receives an additional extension. For more analysis, see the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) blog post on the House Budget Reconciliation proposal for agriculture.
One bright spot is that conservation program baseline would increase a bit in this scenario, though all focus on helping farmers cope with climate change and become part of the solution by reducing their greenhouse gas footprint would be expunged from conservation. OK, fine, call it soil health and fertility, water quality protection, and smart farming that will sustain long term productivity and economic viability. NRCS can still help farmers use cover crops more effectively, diversify rotations, get their animals out on well-managed pasture, feed and care for their soil, and plant multipurpose buffers that protect streams and groundwater, provide wildlife and beneficial habitat, and protect crops and livestock from severe weather. These practices will still help farmers cope with extreme weather and (shh, don’t tell the authorities!) sequester hundreds of pounds of carbon per acre annually.
Note that the House does not have the final word on this budget reconciliation bill. The Senate will take it up next, and there is significant bipartisan sentiment in favor of a more moderate and balanced approach to deficit reduction and government program efficiency. One that will not push millions more American households into food insecurity, throw small and midscale farmers into bankruptcy, and one that will allow for or even encourage passage of the next Farm Bill.
And if and when this does happen, the House and Senate will need to negotiate a final bill to pass and send to the President’s desk.
So, what are our next steps?
- First we can call our Senators and express our concerns over the House reconciliation package and what we need to see in the final bill. Both Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner will be seeking a sensible approach to budget reconciliation – and we can thank them and encourage them in their efforts, and outline our chief concerns about the House proposal. Give them a call and speak from your experience and state your priorities.
- Second, we can let our Representatives know our concerns with the bill that passed the House. When the Senate version comes out – assuming that it is significantly better – we can urge our Representatives to support the Senate bill.
Position Open
NSAC is Hiring a Policy Specialist
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is hiring a Policy Specialist to staff the Coalition’s Farming Opportunities and Fair Competition policy portfolio. Click here for the job description and application information. NSAC plans to hire the new Policy Specialist for this part of its work several weeks before the current specialist Billy Hacket leaves NSAC in the early fall to go to law school. This will give the new hire a chance to “groove in” to the position by working alongside with Billy, who has brought incredible expertise, enthusiasm, humor, and grace to this work.
Perspectives from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Blog
Since the last issue of this e-newsletter, NSAC has written several excellent blog posts featuring the excellent work that some USDA programs have funded. These include the Office of Urban Agriculture that supports healing land and legacy through agroforestry, permaculture, composting, and community garden in Detroit and other major cities; climate resilience research through SARE, Organic Research and Extension Initiative, and other USDA research programs (that are currently “under review”); and Whole Farm Revenue Protection, one USDA crop insurance program that serves smaller scale diversified farms.
NSAC also provides additional analysis of the impacts of the staffing reductions at USDA and the status of USDA programs as of April 30 in light of the funding freeze imposed earlier this year.
Perennial Opportunity
James River Buffer Program
Designs and installs riparian forest buffer at no cost to you
If your farm is located within the James River watershed and you would like to plant a forested buffer to protect water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and improve farm biodiversity, check out the James River Buffer Program. The James River Association, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation are working with farmers and landowners across the middle and upper James River watershed to restore or create forest buffers that improve the quality of local waterways. The program works with you to select tree species, plants the buffer, and provides maintenance for the first three years at no cost to you. Plantings can include income generating species such as sugar maple for syrup production.
Perennial plantings will play a vital role in addressing the climate crisis by enhancing resilience, sequestering carbon, and intercepting nutrients.
