Last week when the U-S Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the nutritional provision of the new farm bill, a debate occurred between Ranking Member Senator John Boozman of Arkansas and Chair Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.  At issue was the large increase of funding proposed by the USDA of $250 billion dollars for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP.  Boozman asked the question if SNAP is getting additional funds would it come at the expense from conservation and other farm programs?  Chairwoman Stabenow claimed that the conservation programs and SNAP operate independently of each other and just because additional money would be directed at one program, would not mean the other programs would suffer.  U-S Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa commented on the situation during his weekly news conference.  Grassley says he takes the side of Senator Boozeman.

Grassley says it will take bi-partisan support to reach an agreement on the farm bill.  He says the spending level should go back to pre-pandemic levels.