Ag Secretary Highlights Concerns with House Ag

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says Americans deserve a farm and jobs bill that reforms the safety net for producers in times of need, promotes the biobased economy, conserves our natural resources, strengthens rural communities, promotes job growth in rural America and supports food assistance to low-income families. But he says the bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee makes deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – including a provision that would deny food assistance to three-million Americans. Vilsack says the proposed cuts will deny 280-thousand children in low-income families access to school meals and reduce farm income across rural America. The Secretary adds that the bill makes misguided reductions to critical energy and conservation program efforts. He says the Administration will continue to seek policy solutions and savings across the farm bill that are consistent with the President’s budget as the legislative process moves forward.