Posted December 18, 2013
Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has suggested that House Democrats should not pass the farm bill unless the savings are used to extend unemployment benefits, according to an MSNBC article available here.
Rep. Van Hollen said, “Under no circumstances should we support the farm bill unless Republicans agree to use the savings from it to extend unemployment insurance.”
The House and Senate conference committee are currently negotiating the final version of the farm bill and recent reports suggest that a bill will be ready in January. While the House did not extend unemployment benefits, which will expire on Dec. 28, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has indicated that this will be one of the top issues for the Senate next year.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said that he would only support an extension “as long as it’s paid for and as long as there are other efforts that will help get our economy moving once again.”
Rep. Van Hollen suggests that extending unemployment insurance for another year, which would cost $25 billion, could be paid for with the estimated $24 billion in savings over the next decade from the farm bill.
This idea could possibly pique the interest of others in Congress. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said recently that, in Congress, there is not much interest in the farm bill outside of the lawmakers who are members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees, according to an article by the Des Moines Register available here.
For more information on farm bills, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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