The equities are closely watching discussions in Washington over the debt ceiling, which resume today between the President and House Speaker and could have an impact on the progress of this year’s Farm Bill.
The talks largely ground to a halt over the weekend after a Sunday phone call yielded no progress. Both teams huddled on Capitol Hill for several hours Sunday night and agreed to meet this afternoon.
Earlier talks left SNAP work requirements in play, which are a major point of discussion for GOP lawmakers. Dan Glickman, who served as Ag Secretary under President Bill Clinton says SNAP work requirements should not be part of debt ceiling discussions, saying those are more suited for negotiations surrounding the Farm Bill. He served when USDA wrote rules for the SNAP work requirements mandated by a welfare reform law in the mid-1990s. Glickman is also urging against a permanent disaster program saying crop insurance should be the preferred method of risk management.
