Per my last article, we know that the September 30th deadline to pass the 2018 Farm Bill has passed us by. That means, despite the urgent efforts by the American Farm Bureau and other organizations and private agricultural companies, there will be absolutely no bill for this year. Lucky us.
And what was this defining factor that hammered the final nail into this bill’s coffin? It shouldn’t be surprising it came down the SNAP work requirements. This was by far the most political and controversial characteristic that forced the first draft to be reevaluated.
Remember those programs from the 2014 Farm Bill that were riding on this vote to continue funding? Now those, 39 in total, have lost their funding altogether. What isn’t harmed by these impacts? Crop insurance is permanently in place, as is the SNAP program. But the “tweaks” and updates to those programs are going to stay the status quo, as will other similar programs as outlined in the bill.
Andddddd that’s all, for now, folks, unfortunately, there’s little else to report.
