The House Agriculture Committee this week released a draft of the 2012 farm bill that would save more than $35 billion in mandatory funding, repeal or consolidate more than 100 programs. The bill also cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps by $16 billion, eliminates direct payments programs for farmers saving $14 billion, and coordinates conservation programs that would save an additional $6 billion. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the bill would save $35.1 billion over a decade, with $23.6 billion in commodity programs alone.
The bill would also eliminate mandatory funding for energy programs, consolidate 23 conservation programs into 13 and combines four commodity programs into one– directs payments, countercyclical payments, Average Crop Revenue Election, and Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments.
The committee is expected to mark up the bill on July 11.
