"Today the Republican led House of Representatives voted down a 5-year authorization of agriculture programs which included a very divisive $26 billion cut to low income nutrition assistance. This failure of leadership to deliver a majority of Republican votes speaks of simply putting politics over policy. 

The last time a full 5-year Farm Bill was passed was 2008 under Democratic leadership working actively and genuinely with Republican colleagues.  Passage of  that Farm Bill in 2008 was a bipartisan package that delivered 316 votes (overturning President Bush’s veto) – a far cry from the 195 votes today.  Earlier this month in the Democratic Senate we saw similar leadership where Chairwoman Stabenow worked with her Republican colleagues to craft a true-bipartisan package which passed overwhelmingly 66-27.

I encourage all agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and other impacted groups to make clear this disappointment of leadership in the House is unacceptable for the American people.  Urge Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor to bring true bipartisan farm bill to the House floor so American agriculture is promised the certainty necessary to provide our nation the safest, most abundant food supply to the American people."