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House GOP won't extend farm billBy Larry Dreiling With Republicans badly split over farm subsidies and cutting food stamps, House GOP leaders July 31 decided to drop plans to extend the current farm program for one year and instead will press for immediate help for drought-stricken farmers. The decision comes as Republicans feel pressure to do something for drought-hit farmers and ranchers before Congress begins its summer recess. The party remains stymied by internal divisions between conservatives and farm-state lawmakers on how to proceed with a broader renewal of farm subsidies and the food stamp program. Republicans initially had announced plans to extend for one year the current farm and food programs, which expire on Sept. 30. But GOP leaders pulled that measure from the Aug. 1 floor schedule amid continued resistance from many conservatives and after Democrats--as well as many farm groups--announced opposition to the measure. In a private, closed-door meeting in House Speaker John Boehner's office, leaders decided they could gin up enough votes to proceed with extending emergency benefits to assist drought-affected farmers. But they did not rule out having to twist GOP arms or appeal for Democrats' support. "What was clear was that we can't send our members home in the middle of a drought without any action," one House GOP leadership aide said to the Washington publication Roll Call before the session. Last month, the House Agriculture Committee approved a new five-year farm bill that would replace direct payments with new price and revenue support programs. The Senate passed companion legislation in June. "My priority remains to get a five-year farm bill on the books and put those policies in place, but the most pressing business before us is to provide disaster assistance to those producers impacted by the drought conditions who are currently exposed," House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-OK, said. "The House is expected to consider a disaster assistance package on (Aug. 2) and I encourage my colleagues to support it." House Agriculture Committee Ranking Minority Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota opposes the one-year extension, saying it would doom the chances of a five-year farm bill that would make significant changes to much-maligned farm subsidies. Instead, GOP aides said, the House would take up a much smaller measure aimed at dealing with this summer's drought, the worst in about a half-century. The aides required anonymity because rank and file Republicans had not been briefed on the plans. Many conservative Republicans were unhappy with the prospect of voting for farm subsidies and were also unhappy with simply renewing the food stamp program, which has grown rapidly in recent years. Details of the drought relief package were not immediately available. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, signaled that Democrats might be able to support the House GOP move. "I think that what the House should do is take the provisions we have in our bill that we sent to them, and if they want to do something about drought relief, send that to us," Reid told reporters. House Republican leaders have been reluctant to bring the new farm bill to the floor because of concerns it could go down to an embarrassing defeat. Some GOP conservatives object to the high cost--nearly $100 billion a year, with 80 percent of that going to the food stamp program that now helps feed some 46 million people--while some Democrats oppose the bill because it would cut about $1.6 billion a year from food stamps. But farm groups, as well as the Obama administration, have been pressing the House to act, citing the crisis over the drought as reason to put new farm policy into place as soon as possible. The House and Senate farm bills also restore the expired disaster relief programs. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Larry Dreiling can be reached by phone at 785-628-1117, or by email at ldreiling@aol.com. Date: 8/6/2012
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