House lawmakers passed their budget resolution last night. It was a tight margin, and now we are watching to see what happens in the Senate.
The House plan calls for $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to pay for President Trump’s priorities like taxes, border security, and military spending. They now have to figure out where to make cuts to pay for those priorities. The House Ag Committee was told to find more than $200 billion to trim. Committee Chair GT Thompson says SNAP will not see any cuts but will likely see changes to protect the program’s integrity.
One lawmaker is eager to get budget talks out of the way, saying they are one more roadblock to the Farm Bill.
“In a lot of things like the farm bill, the spending is locked in with mandatory money, but every year, you have to pass a bill to keep the people employed at USDA, as an example, to keep the trucks going and to provide all of the other stuff that backs it up. So, it’s important, not just for ag but defense - everything - we need to not have a shutdown on March 14,” said Congressman Frank Lucas.
Last night’s vote paves the way for negotiations in the Senate, where lawmakers are taking a different approach. In the meantime, farm groups are having conversations on the Hill. Sugar beet growers say they are frustrated with a lack of progress on ag legislation and want lawmakers to remember who they represent.
