Democrats halt farm bill talks in the House
Source: Politico
By LIZ CRAMPTON and HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH 03/15/2018 07:05 PM EDT Updated 03/15/2018 07:40 PM EDT
Bipartisan negotiations over the farm bill stopped Thursday afternoon after House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson faced pressure from fellow Democrats who complained that discussions about changes to the food stamp program were being kept secret.
The development is a considerable blow to the sweeping bill, which was seen by many as one of the only real chances for bipartisanship in Congress this year. Congress is supposed to reauthorize the bill every five years but political wrangling has threatened its fate. The current law expires Sept. 30.
Peterson’s decision to pause talks comes after House Democrats demanded that he stop negotiations until text of the legislation is shared with fellow members. Democrats are revolting to potential changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, still commonly known as food stamps.
"The Democratic members have made clear that they unanimously oppose the farm bill’s SNAP language as it has been described to them and reported in the press," Peterson said in a statement on Thursday.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/15/house-farm-bill-bipartisan-talks-democrats-466604
= new reply since forum marked as read
