"After three hours of debate, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee today voted 15-5 to send its 1,100-page, five-year farm bill to the full Senate floor."
"The bill represents a win for conservation groups for its requirement that producers comply with conservation requirements in order to receive crop insurance subsidies. Amendments to limit U.S. EPA regulations were either withdrawn or not considered at today's markup.
The Congressional Budget Office has projected that the (bill would cost about $950 billion over the next decade and save $24 billion in direct spending, though the numbers don't take into account amendments passed today. After the vote, Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has indicated he will bring the bill to the floor after the Senate finishes its debate on the Water Resources Development Act.
Both the Agriculture Committee and the full Senate last year passed a farm bill, S. 3240, but it failed to make it to the president's desk after work in the House ground to a halt. The House Agriculture Committee will mark up its version of the bill [Wednesday]."
Amanda Peterka reports for E&E News PM May 14, 2013.
Advertisement 
