Tipton Statement on Farm Bill

Washington, DC, June 20, 2013
“This was not a perfect bill, but a good first step toward reform that would have eliminated or consolidated more than 100 government programs, and saved $40 billion, including $20 billion in reforms to SNAP by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse while ensuring that those who are truly in need of assistance would have full access to it. These would have been the largest reforms since 1996, and were good commonsense steps.

Rep. Scott Tipton (CO-03) issued this statement on the Farm Bill.

“This was not a perfect bill, but a good first step toward reform that would have eliminated or consolidated more than 100 government programs, and saved $40 billion, including $20 billion in reforms to SNAP by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse while ensuring that those who are truly in need of assistance would have full access to it. These would have been the largest reforms since 1996, and were good commonsense steps.  I’m disappointed by this missed opportunity to implement needed reforms, as well as the missed opportunity to provide certainty for the Agriculture community by continuing vital programs including crop insurance, research, investments in production and regulatory relief. In time, I believe we should find a way to divorce the agriculture aspects in the Farm Bill from welfare assistance and other unrelated programs, as these are very different sets of issues that deserve individual attention. But that was not the reality of today’s vote.”

The Farm Bill included an amendment offered by Tipton and Reps. Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Mike Coffman (CO-06) and Cory Gardner (CO-04) to allow the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to lease new air tankers, at no additional cost to taxpayers, to fight wildfires. Read more about that amendment here.

Background on the Farm Bill Courtesy of the House Agriculture Committee:

  • Saves nearly $40 billion in mandatory funds, including the immediate sequestration of $6 billion.
  • Repeals or consolidates more than 100 programs.
  • Eliminates direct payments, which farmers received regardless of market conditions.
  • Streamlines and reforms commodity policy saving nearly $14 billion while also giving producers a choice in how best to manage risk.
  • Includes the first reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 saving more than $20 billion.
  • Consolidates 23 conservation programs into 13, improving program delivery to producers and saving more than $6 billion.
  • Builds on previous investments to fruit and vegetable production, farmers markets, and local food systems.
  • Includes several regulatory relief measures to help mitigate burdens farmers, ranchers, and rural communities face.

For more information on the Farm Bill visit the House Agriculture Committee website.

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