Boehner Could Block Farm Bill

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, could block consideration of the farm bill in the House of Representatives, delaying action on legislation that provides funding for farmers and food stamp recipients.

According to a report in The Hill, Boehner is personally opposed to the farm bill, and is concerned about defections within his Republican caucus.

“Every time he has had the choice to bring up a bipartisan bill and face a large defection, he has decided not to,” said a lobbyist quoted in the article. “I don’t see him risking embarrassment for a farm bill.”

Boehner has not yet taken any steps to block the bill, but he hasn’t had to yet. The bill, which is co-sponsored by House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas, R-Ohio, and Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., will get its mark-up in committee on Wednesday.

A companion bill in the Senate passed in June by a 64-35 margin. The House had been under pressure to act on legislation, as current farm spending authorizations expire in September.

The bill doesn’t just cover aid to farmers. The farm bill also covers billions of dollars in food aid to poor families. Democrats have been divided over the House bill, which would cut $16.5 billion from the Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program.

Boehner may be looking to delay action in order to gamble on Republican gains in the November elections. A more conservative House of Representatives, and more important, a GOP-led Senate could produce a bill with even more cuts in aid to the poor and support for farmers. Congress could pass a temporary extension of the current funding to avoid a catastrophic cut-off of government spending.

Peterson, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said that Democrats will benefit if Boehner and House Republicans do not take up the bill.

“Voters are going to know who screwed this up,” he said.

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Image Credit: Gage Skidmore

50 comments

Jim Ven
Jim Venabout a year ago

thanks for sharing.

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Randi Levin
Randi Levin5 years ago

AHH BUT THAT IS Boehner's job to continue the SAY NO AGENDA!
Even if it is the right thing to do---he will block it for the Say No Agenda of the GOP is the only concept that has been miserably but successfully mandated by the GOP to the detriment of this entire country.

I bleieve it is time to Recall all of Congress as they have been ineffective in helping this cpountry for almost 4 years to date! In fact the only repsonse the GOP has made to anything is NO!

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Tricia Hamilton
Tricia Hamilton5 years ago

There is no middle class anymore, there is just the rich & the poor. How could this happen?

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J.C. H.
Jc Honeycutt5 years ago

Yet another reason to register more Democrats & get them to the polls: to give Sen. Boehner a reason to cry in November and support farmers & food aid in the US. I live in an agricultural area: a lot of local folks benefit from this bill and others like it--not just farmers, but consumers, farm-equipment dealers, etc.; and I know that I'm healthier (and thinner) by having easy access to affordable, fresh, locally-grown food.

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Charli S.
Charlotte S5 years ago

What about the part of the bill that gives Monsanto a pass to do what ever they want. the problem is these bills are too large and complex and allow politicians to pass all kinds of pet projects to reward their contributors at the expense of our country and its citizens. Take a look here and see if it changes your mind a bit. http://www.care2.com/news/member/830372471/3399219 We need both election reform and reform in how bills are created. They need to be limited in size so that politicians can't use the excuse that they "missed" something when they were reading it. If every bill was limited in both size and scope it would take away the elected officials excuses when they fail us.

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Sarah Hill
Sarah Hill5 years ago

Good. Because it is just another huge increase in entitlement spending which we can't afford!

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Lynn Squance
Lynn Squance5 years ago

“Voters are going to know who screwed this up,”

You bet especially if people keep bringing up the issues and don't put up with evasive, vague answers or statements that have been the hallmark of the Republican/Teabaggers.

With $16.5 billion in food stamp funding in danger of disappearing in September and Agent Orange Boehner willing to let it slide until (he hopes) he has a Republican/Teabagger senate in November, sorry, but that is the height of arrogance and callousness. Being a legislator is a service position, a service to the people of the country. Agent Orange has no understanding of nor commitment to the people of the US.

@ Dr C --- "...The republicans simply keeping talking trickle down economics ..."

Yup, and that 'trickle down' is a drip and the Republican/Teabaggers are the plumber that is going to fix that leak! Every dollar saved is another dollar for the 1%. Never trust a Republican/Teabagger!

Vote Democratic 2012!!!!! Vote Obama/Biden 2012!!!!!

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John B.
John B5 years ago

This from a fellow who has a hard time blocking his own driveway?

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Miranda Parkinson
Miranda Parkinson5 years ago

It's surprising they still get voted in as they are only for the rich and their inner circle. There are far more poor but somehow these people still make it!

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Doug Gledhill
Doug G5 years ago

These guy have openly shown the people of this nation what they are about and what priorities they have. It is clear, if you are not apart of their click you will suffer greatly. How more obvious do they have to be before voters turn them out of office?

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