Agriculture
Congress reauthorizes a major piece of agriculture legislation about every five years, known as the Farm Bill. The reauthorization process gives Congress the opportunity to reexamine agriculture policies that have a direct impact on food prices and our domestic food supply – issues that affect every single American. In addition, the Farm Bill includes mandatory funding levels for nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as food stamps. The current Farm Bill is set to expire in September 2012, and Congress is now debating ways to improve these important policies. Like all areas of the budget, spending for agriculture needs to be looked at very carefully. Congress must take this opportunity to perform an honest assessment of each program – strengthening programs that have a proven record of success, and eliminating those that have failed. Congress needs to come together on this reauthorization and provide certainty for American producers and consumers.