Chairman Conaway Introduces the Agriculture and Nutrition Act

On April 12, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) introduced the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2).

• CLICK HERE to read the full legislative text of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018.
• CLICK HERE to read the section-by-section summary of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018.
• CLICK HERE to read policy highlights in the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018.
• CLICK HERE for audio of Chairman Conaway’s remarks from today’s press conference.
• For more information on the bill, visit house.gov/farmbill.

The following is a statement released by the House Agriculture Committee on April 12:

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) introduced the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2) – critical legislation to address the economic challenges facing the nation’s farmers and ranchers. Upon introducing the bill in the House, Chairman Conaway said:

“Rural America is hurting. Over the last five years, net farm income has been cut in half. Natural disasters and global markets distorted by predatory trade practices of foreign countries, including high and rising foreign subsidies, tariffs and non-tariff barriers, have resulted in huge production losses and chronically depressed prices that are today jeopardizing the future of America’s farm and ranch families.

“The farm bill keeps faith with our nation’s farmers and ranchers through the current agriculture recession by providing certainty and helping producers manage the enormous risks that are inherent in agriculture. The farm bill also remains faithful to the American taxpayer and consumer. Under the farm bill, consumers will continue to enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply in the world, and taxpayers will reap the more than $112 billion in budget savings projected under the current law.

“Ensuring an affordable food supply is important to every citizen, but it is absolutely critical to the most vulnerable among us who struggle every week to put food on the table. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is reauthorized under the farm bill, is essential to helping many Americans feed themselves and their families.

“The farm bill also keeps faith with these families by not only maintaining SNAP benefits but by offering SNAP beneficiaries a springboard out of poverty to a good paying job, and opportunity for a better way of life for themselves and their families.

“I’m excited to share our vision with the American people – and eager for people to see the details of a proposal that offers people real hope and promise.

“I’m also looking forward to quickly moving this farm bill through the House and working with the Senate to deliver a farm bill to the president’s desk that is on time, as the president has asked us to do.”

House Committee On Agriculture Ranking Member Collin Peterson also released the following statement:

Peterson Statement on Conaway Farm Bill

WASHINGTON – House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson today made the following statement after Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway released partisan legislation to reauthorize the farm bill.

“It makes no sense to put the farmers and rural communities who rely on the farm bill’s safety net programs at risk in pursuit of partisan ideology on SNAP. Between record low farm incomes, and the escalating threat of a trade war and other market disruptions, farmers have enough to worry about. Breaking up the long-standing, bipartisan, urban-rural farm bill alliance is a dangerous and unproductive step that will only sow division and jeopardize both this and future farm bills. 

“This bill attempts to change SNAP from a feeding program to a work program. The bill rejects the testimony of 89 witnesses, and instead includes ideological language that will force people off of SNAP to pay for massive state bureaucracies that won’t work and are a waste of money. This legislation is based on false perceptions and ignores reality.

“The bill also fails to make needed improvements to the farm safety net. American farmers are suffering from the largest drop in farm income since the Great Depression but the farm safety net in this bill is inadequate and won’t help farmers. Our farmers need a safety net that will address their current reality. This farm bill fails to provide the certainty farmers need during uncertain times.”

The House Committee on Agriculture also issued a hearing advisory on the Agriculture and Nutrition Act:

ADVISORY: House Agriculture Committee to consider H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18

Wednesday, April 18, 2018 – 10:00 a.m.
1300 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
Full Committee – Business Meeting
RE: To consider H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018

Organic Farmers Association is working on preparing an analysis for our members on what this means for our policy priorities.