U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today said she is continuing to work closely with the Committee’s Ranking Member, Senator Pat Roberts, and Senate leadership on an agreement to move forward with considering more amendments to the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act (the Senate’s 2012 Farm Bill). The bill, which is currently being considered by the full Senate, is a bipartisan reform measure that ends unnecessary subsidies, cuts $23.6 billion in spending, and helps America’s agriculture economy continue to grow. The bill passed out of Committee with bipartisan support on a 16-5 vote and cleared its first procedural vote 90-8 last week.
“To provide farmers and small businesses certainty to continue growing the economy, and to achieve major reform of American farm programs, this is a must-pass bill,” Chairwoman Stabenow said. “We have seen now close to 300 amendments offered to the Farm Bill, which illustrates how important this is to our colleagues from every part of the country. We are continuing to make progress toward a final amendment package and I’m confident we’ll do what the American people want to see us do – come together and pass a bill that will cut spending and create jobs.”
For more information, and a summary of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012, please visit the Senate Agriculture Committee’s website at http://www.ag.senate.gov/issues/farm-bill.