Udall: If House is Serious About Deficit Reduction, It Must Pass the 2012 Farm Bill
Senate Farm Bill, Passed with Bipartisan Support, Reduces Deficit by $23 Billion
Mark Udall called on the U.S. House of Representatives today to pass the 2012 Farm Bill, which passed the U.S. Senate with broad bipartisan support, as a show of its seriousness about deficit reduction and common-sense reforms to government spending.
"Passing the 2012 Farm Bill should be a no-brainer, especially with congressional leadership working to strike a deficit compromise," Udall said. "The Senate Farm Bill cuts wasteful spending, reduces the deficit while investing in critical programs, and gives farmers much-needed certainty to plan ahead. The legislation also makes strategic investments, including bark beetle mitigation and stewardship programs that allow the federal government to partner with the private sector on forest health initiatives."
Udall has been an avid supporter of the 2012 Farm Bill and has repeatedly called on the House to quickly pass it.
Udall led the fight to strengthen the 2012 Farm Bill’s forestry title, including adding provisions to increase funding for bark beetle mitigation, doubling the annual mitigation funding from $100 million to $200 million. The amendment, which encourages public-private sector partnerships, built on a multi-year effort to strengthen federal capabilities to address the ongoing beetle epidemic in Western forests.
The 2012 Farm Bill also included an amendment from Udall to end public financing for political party conventions.