FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
09-11-18
Contact: Aaron White, Phone: 202-225-5506, Aaron.White@mail.house.gov
Congressional Budget Office acknowledges Title I subsidies are being abused by wealthy farmers, while small and family famers struggle.
La Crosse – As the 2018 Farm Bill enters the Conference Committee negotiation process, Rep. Ron Kind is calling on Committee conferees to take into account the rampant abuses of Title I subsidy payments in the language of the House Farm Bill. This comes after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) responded to a letter from Rep. Ron Kind claiming that wealthy farmers are knowingly reorganizing their businesses to continue receiving subsidies that are meant for small and family farmers that are struggling financially. This has difficult to institute meaningful payment limits within Title I program.
“This response from the CBO once again proves that Washington is lavishing huge taxpayer subsidies on millionaires and billionaires, leaving Wisconsin’s small and family farmers behind,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “The Farm Bill’s Title I section is an unacceptable misuse of taxpayer dollars, and must be fixed before it leaves conference committee. This is Washington incentivizing poor behavior.”
The 2018 Farm Bill is currently being debated by a bicameral Conference Committee. Language in the Senate’s Farm Bill more closely aligns with the needs of small and family farmers, and curtails the abuse of Title I subsidy payments. The House bill lifted payment limits, allowing for more corruption and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
The current Farm Bill expires on September 30, 2018.
Rep. Kind introduced bipartisan amendments to the Farm Bill to create more transparency in the crop insurance and subsidy programs, protect the Conservation Stewardship Program within the Farm Bill Conservation Title, and avoid trade disputes with Brazil due to U.S. cotton subsidies. His amendments were blocked by the House Committee on Rules.
Read Rep. Ron Kind’s letter to the Congressional Budget Office here.
Read the Congressional Budget Office’s response here.
