The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman. 
Today, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind voted against the 2018 Farm Bill, the Conference Report of H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act.
His statement is below:
“This Farm Bill maintains a status quo that will drive more family farmers out of business. It fails to rein in wasteful subsidies and crop insurance programs that lead to overproduction by big Agribusiness, and sends taxpayer dollars to billionaires on Wall Street, and in Chicago and San Francisco. It cuts $800 million from vital conservation programs, and does nothing to address the damage caused by the President’s trade war.
I can’t support a bill that maintains the failed status quo. As long as family farmers are fighting for their lives in Wisconsin, I will continue to fight for them in this Farm Bill.”
The 2018 Farm Bill has a number of fiscally irresponsible provisions, including a crop subsidy program that gives 80% of all farm subsidies to 20% of American farmers. The Farm Bill also expands the eligibility of pass-through entities, allowing distant relatives (including cousins, nieces and nephews) to qualify for taxpayer-funded commodity payments.
Rep. Kind introduced bipartisan amendments to the House Farm Bill to create more transparency in the crop insurance and subsidy programs, protect the Conservation Stewardship Program within the Farm Bill Conservation Title, and avoid trade disputes with Brazil due to U.S. cotton subsidies. His amendments were blocked by the House Committee on Rules.
“This Farm Bill maintains a status quo that will drive more family farmers out of business. It fails to rein in wasteful subsidies and crop insurance programs that lead to overproduction by big Agribusiness, and sends taxpayer dollars to billionaires on Wall Street, and in Chicago and San Francisco. It cuts $800 million from vital conservation programs, and does nothing to address the damage caused by the President’s trade war.
I can’t support a bill that maintains the failed status quo. As long as family farmers are fighting for their lives in Wisconsin, I will continue to fight for them in this Farm Bill.”
The 2018 Farm Bill has a number of fiscally irresponsible provisions, including a crop subsidy program that gives 80% of all farm subsidies to 20% of American farmers. The Farm Bill also expands the eligibility of pass-through entities, allowing distant relatives (including cousins, nieces and nephews) to qualify for taxpayer-funded commodity payments.
Rep. Kind introduced bipartisan amendments to the House Farm Bill to create more transparency in the crop insurance and subsidy programs, protect the Conservation Stewardship Program within the Farm Bill Conservation Title, and avoid trade disputes with Brazil due to U.S. cotton subsidies. His amendments were blocked by the House Committee on Rules.
