WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa released the following statement on today’s Senate passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.
“The bipartisan Farm Bill passed today by the Senate, with my support, gives American farmers a number of victories. It will help fund programs that promote American agricultural products abroad to increase exports, makes sensible reforms to the Conservation Reserve Program and preserves crop insurance, which farmers in Iowa and throughout the country depend on.
“It also includes an amendment I introduced that will set sound, enforceable limits to farm safety net payments, closing loopholes that exploit the intent of farm programs by allowing some non-farmers to game the system and take resources away from real, working farmers. I believe that farm programs should provide temporary, limited assistance to farmers when there’s a natural disaster or an unforeseeable, sudden change in market prices, not unlimited subsidies. I’ve advocated for payment limit reforms for more than a decade and I’m pleased with the amendment’s adoption.
“Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow have worked hard on this bipartisan bill. I applaud their efforts and look forward to passing a final bill that will give farmers and American agriculture the safety net it needs to feed the people of this country and the world.”
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