WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20)
released the following statement on Saturday, May 19 about the Farm Bill vote that occurred on Friday, May 18 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congressman Panetta
said that, "the failure of the Farm Bill on the House floor yesterday was
due to a flawed process and unnecessary partisanship. Although
historically bipartisan, the Agriculture Committee became partisan when the
Majority decided to put forward and hastily pass an underfunded Farm Bill, and
insist on unproven and untested changes to the bill's Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP). Despite its lack of proper investments in
critical programs for specialty crops, organics, and beginning farmers and any
evidence to support such serious modifications to SNAP, the bill passed out of
the committee on a party line vote. Once the politically-driven and
policy-flawed bill reached the House floor, it rightfully failed to attract
enough support to pass.
"I voted against the bill because I believe that it was based on
politics rather than the procedure of holding hearings to gather supportive
evidence in a bipartisan manner, which is normally found in the Agriculture
Committee and necessary for such a major piece of legislation like the Farm
Bill. Our farmers and those facing
hunger in our communities deserve better and depend on Congress to do better
together. I hope the Majority now invites both parties to
the negotiating table for open and meaningful conversation and
compromise. I am ready to work with his
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to produce a Farm Bill that supports our
farmers, grows our agriculture industry, and tackles hunger across our
country.”
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