WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. House Agriculture Committee has advanced its version of the Farm Bill reauthorization, but the two Oregon committee members have very different opinions on the latest draft.
"This farm bill is a strong one for Oregon that benefits our over 37,000 farms and nearly 700,000 agricultural employees," Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR5) said at last week's hearing. She called it a bipartisan effort, "I’m thrilled to see increases to the Specialty Crop Block Grant and the Specialty Crop Research Incentive, as well as support for the mechanization and automation technologies for these crops." She's also pleased the final draft includes several of her proposals, like the Expanding Child Care in Rural America Act. "[It] Will help improve the availability and quality of child care in rural communities; helping to lower the insane cost."
Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-OR6) is also pleased some of her ideas made it in, including help to "Address our wildland firefighting personnel shortage." And, she thanked the GOP majority for listening to Democrats. But, she noted at the hearing, "When taken as a whole, this bill is an unacceptable product that should in no way be considered a bipartisan compromise." Salinas added, "This proposal takes away up to two days of food per month from hungry veterans, children and seniors, and that includes over 42,000 families in my district alone, who rely on SNAP to stay healthy and fed." She and other House Dems say the bill won’t make it through the Democrat-majority Senate, given the provisions they believe cut $30 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food for low-income families, "And we are squabbling over $6 a day to help them. 718,600 Oregon residents who rely on it; 42,000 households, just in my district."
The five-year farm bill reauthorization is expected to go to a full vote in the fall. It was supposed to be approved a year ago, but Congress extended the deadline. "Agriculture is the life blood of Oregon," Rep. Chavez-DeRemer said Thursday, "The programs in this farm bill are critical to our farmers. That’s why it is so urgent that we finally get this legislation across the finish line and deliver the aid that our farmers not only need but deserve."
