Politico tells us this: Cotton growers vs. urban farmers: Bitter partisan fight threatens farm bill. The meat:
Texas Republican Mike Conaway, the House Agriculture chairman, wants more money for Southern cotton growers. Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow, Senate Agriculture’s ranking member, is pushing funds for urban farming and renewable energy. ...
At the heart of the impasse is how the farm subsidy pie will be divvied up among regions of the country. Stabenow and Roberts oppose House provisions that the Congressional Budget Office projected would send more cash to farmers in the Southern Plains, including more than $500 million to cotton growers, a top constituency in Conaway’s West Texas district. In order to offset the cost of that proposal, the House bill would shrink subsidies for row crop farmers across the country.
The ideal result for tax payers is if they both lose. Lawmakers should figure out how to wean farmers off subsidies.
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2:44 PM 10/9/2018
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