House Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson says he won’t support the House farm bill with the current SNAP reform language included. He predicts the bill will die in conference. However, if it makes to out he will support the Senate farm bill, which is absent of the work requirements for SNAP benefits.
Peterson doesn’t think Ag Committee Chair Mike Conaway is the real driver of the welfare reform in the bill, but instead House Republican leadership.
Chairman Conaway criticized the Democrats on the Committee for not offering any amendments to improve the draft farm bill. However, Peterson says it isn’t worth the effort.
Peterson did get the changes he offered in the dairy program with the Margin Protection Program payment price set at $9 above feed costs, which will protect $17 milk up to 230 cows. The payment will also be retroactive, which he says is a bad precedent to set.
