2018: Fitzpatrick Voted Against The House GOP's 2018 Farm Bill, Which
Reauthorized Farm Programs Such As Crop Subsidies And Reauthorized SNAP
With New Work Requirements. In May 2018, Fitzpatrick voted against the
House GOP Farm Bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Passage of
the bill that would reauthorize and extend federal farm and nutrition
programs through fiscal 2023, including crop subsidies, conservation,
rural development and agricultural trade programs and the Supplemental
Nutritional Assistance Program. It would require individuals receiving
SNAP benefits, who are 18-59 years old, to work or participate in work
training programs for a minimum of 20 hours per week, and would require
the Department of Agriculture to establish a database to track
individuals receiving SNAP benefits. The bill would reauthorize and
extend supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs, the
current sugar policies and loan rates, several international food aid
programs, nonrecourse marketing assistance loans for loan commodities,
several dairy programs, including the dairy risk management program
(previously the margin protection program) and would modify certain
utility standards in the Home Energy Assistance Program to require SNAP
benefits recipients to provide documentation of such expenses in order
to receive increased benefits using the Standard Utility Allowance. The
bill would authorize, with modifications, the farm risk-management
program, which gives agriculture producers a choice of receiving price
loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage, on a
covered-commodity-by-covered-commodity basis, for the 2019 through 2023
crop years. The bill would reauthorize several conservation programs,
and would increase the conservation reserve program from 24 to 29
million acres and reduce from 750,000 to 500,000 acres the cap for
Farmable Wetland Program enrollment. It would also increase the amount
authorized annually for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for
the 2019 through 2023 crop years, with a maximum authorization of $3
billion in 2023. It would eliminate the conservation stewardship program
and would also allow the Environmental Protection Agency to determine
whether a pesticide is likely to jeopardize the survival of a federally
designated threatened or endangered species, or the habitat of such a
species, without having to consult with federal agencies." The vote was
on passage. The House rejected the bill by a vote of 198 to 213. The
House later took a revote several weeks later and passed the bill. A
modified version of the bill was later signed into law. [House Vote
205, 5/18/18;
Congressional Quarterly, 5/18/18;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
2]
2018: Fitzpatrick Voted For The Final 2018 Conference Report Farm Bill
Which Reauthorized Farm Programs And Food Stamps. In December 2018,
Fitzpatrick voted for the 2018 farm bill. According to Congressional
Quarterly, "Adoption of the conference report on the bill that would
reauthorize and extend federal farm and nutrition programs through
fiscal 2023, including crop subsidies, conservation, rural development
and agricultural trade programs and the Supplemental Nutritional
Assistance Program. It would reauthorize and extend supplemental
agricultural disaster assistance programs, sugar policies and loan
rates, several international food aid programs, nonrecourse marketing
assistance loans for loan commodities, and several dairy programs,
including the dairy risk management program (previously the margin
protection program). It would create new pilot programs that would test
strategies for improving the accuracy of the SNAP income verification
process. It would allow industrial hemp to be grown in the United
States, subject to close regulation at the state level. It would modify
the activities permitted on land contracted under the conservation
reserve program." The vote was on the conference report. The House
passed the legislation by a vote of 369 to 47. The Senate had earlier
passed the bill and was later signed into law by the president. [House
Vote 434, 12/12/18;
Congressional Quarterly, 12/12/18;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
2]
Legislation Expanded The Definition Of 'Family' That Qualify For
Farm Subsidies. According to Congressional Quarterly, "It also
expands the definition of family members who qualify for farm
subsidies on family farms to include first cousins, nieces and
nephews, as long as they are 'actively engaged' in farming."
[Congressional Quarterly,
12/11/18]
Legislation Reauthorized The Sugar Program And Increased The Rate
For The Loans. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The measure
reauthorizes the sugar program through FY 2023, and increases the
rate for the loans available to processors of domestically grown
sugarcane from 18.75 cents per pound to 19.75 cents per pound."
[Congressional Quarterly,
12/11/18]
2018: Fitzpatrick Voted Against The House GOP's 2018 Farm Bill, Which
Reauthorized Farm Programs Such As Crop Subsidies And Reauthorized SNAP,
But With New Work Requirements. In June 2018, Fitzpatrick voted
against the House GOP Farm Bill. According to Congressional Quarterly,
"Passage of the bill that would reauthorize and extend federal farm and
nutrition programs through fiscal 2023, including crop subsidies,
conservation, rural development and agricultural trade programs and the
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. It would require
individuals receiving SNAP benefits, who are 18-59 years old, to work or
participate in work training programs for a minimum of 20 hours per
week, and would require the Department of Agriculture to establish a
database to track individuals receiving SNAP benefits. The bill would
reauthorize and extend supplemental agricultural disaster assistance
programs, the current sugar policies and loan rates, several
international food aid programs, nonrecourse marketing assistance loans
for loan commodities, several dairy programs, including the dairy risk
management program (previously the margin protection program) and would
modify certain utility standards in the Home Energy Assistance Program
to require SNAP benefits recipients to provide documentation of such
expenses in order to receive increased benefits using the Standard
Utility Allowance. The bill would authorize, with modifications, the
farm risk-management program, which gives agriculture producers a choice
of receiving price loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage, on a
covered-commodity-by-covered-commodity basis, for the 2019 through 2023
crop years. The bill would reauthorize several conservation programs,
and would increase the conservation reserve program from 24 to 29
million acres and reduce from 750,000 to 500,000 acres the cap for
Farmable Wetland Program enrollment. It would also increase the amount
authorized annually for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for
the 2019 through 2023 crop years, with a maximum authorization of $3
billion in 2023. It would eliminate the conservation stewardship program
and would also allow the Environmental Protection Agency to determine
whether a pesticide is likely to jeopardize the survival of a federally
designated threatened or endangered species, or the habitat of such a
species, without having to consult with federal agencies." The vote was
on passage. The House adopted the bill by a vote of 213 to 211. A
modified version was later signed into law. [House Vote 284,
6/21/18; Congressional
Quarterly, 5/18/18; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
2]