Although the vote is officially scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, some reports are claiming that Senators may try to move the legislation for a vote around 4pm today. Senator Reid announced that Senators will make the vote from their desks – a method usually reserved for votes on historic legislation.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have already indicated that they will not take up the Senate bill.
Today, Senate Leader Harry Reid admitted that a deal to keep student loan interest rates from doubling to 6.8% before July 1st is unlikely. Several Senators continue to work to produce a last minute deal, including Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) who has been working with Senator Angus King (I-ME), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and several Republicans, for a student loan compromise.
It is unclear how much support Manchin-King proposal would have if brought to a vote.
Some Senators are now hinting of the possibility of a retroactive fix after the House and Senate come back from the July 4th Recess. However, it is unclear and unlikely that Congress will have the political will to do so.
The House voted down the farm bill by a vote of 195-234 early this afternoon. Sixty-two Republicans voted against the measure while 24 Democrats voted for the measure.
With that, the House is adjourned for the week.
It is unclear major legislation, including student loans or appropriations measures, that the House will consider next week. Incidentally, next week is the last work week before the July 4th Recess.
The House will begin consideration of the Farm Bill (HR 1947) today and finish consideration on Thursday. While the House Rules Committee is still determining which amendments will be made in order, 220 amendments have been submitted to the Rules Committee.The House Rules Committee has proceeded with a rare two day consideration of the rule to determine which amendments should be made in order. The bulk of these amendments pertain to the SNAP program.
Continue reading “House Proceeds on Farm Bill as White House Threatens Veto”
This week, the House will consider its version of the Farm Bill (HR 1947) to authorize USDA programs for five years. The controversial measure is expected to be considered for the bulk of the week.
Where the Senate passed a bipartisan Farm Bill earlier this year by 66–27, with 18 Republicans voting in favor, the House measure — and the House generally being more polarized — is facing a much more controversial bill. Provisions of contention include:
Like the Senate bill, the House measure would end $5 billion a year in direct payments made to farmers and landowners based on the past crop production history of qualifying acres. Part of the savings from ending direct payments would be used to create a hybrid of insurance-like plans and reference, or target, prices to help farmers protect against price drops. How this program is changed is controversial to both environmental and fiscal conservative groups.
No farm bill would mean that there are no changes to the SNAP and other programs that conservatives believe should be changed. Thus Republican leadership are encouraging Members to vote for the reauthorization despite any flaws with the bill.
As previously discussed, the House reauthorization includes most of higher education’s many requests reauthorization requests for the NIFA. It House bill also provides mandatory funds for three programs administered by NIFA. Although major floor amendments to the Research and Extension Title (Title VII) of the bill are not expected at this time, it is unlikely there will be no amendment to the Research Title.
UW’s College of the Environment receives USDA and NIFA funds, and the Office of Federal Relations is tracking the progress of the Farm Bill closely.