U.S. lawmakers have reached an agreement on the Farm Bill
that drops a proposal to tighten food stamps restrictions backed by President
Donald Trump, and are looking to vote on it this week, according to
congressional staffers.
Reuters reports that the agreement between Republicans and
Democrats on the crucial piece of legislation caps a months-long bitter debate,
and offers a spot of financial certainty to farmers suffering from the impact
of the U.S. trade war with China. Programs covered by the bill include crop
subsidies and support to growers seeking access to export markets.
The final text shows Republicans in the lame duck Congress
had to walk back from some demands, the biggest being the Trump-backed proposal
to impose stricter worker requirements for recipients of food stamps.
That debate had delayed the legislation beyond the most
recent version's expiration in September, and was finalized only after
Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives in the November
midterm congressional elections.
Food stamps, as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) is known, are used by more than 40 million Americans, or about
12 percent of the total U.S. population, reports Reuters.
The move to tighten eligibility criteria failed to garner
enough support in the Senate, and Trump blamed Democrats opposed to the tighter
restrictions for stalling the bill. China, normally the top buyer of U.S. farm
produce, has been absent from the market after the imposition of tariffs due to
the trade war between Washington and Beijing.
The bill will extend the eligibility for crop subsidies to
nephews, nieces and cousins of a farmer, which is likely to escalate criticism
over what is already seen as a too-broad definition of who qualifies for the
funds.