WASHINGTON—Yesterday, the Senate passed the farm bill. Today, the House passed the same bill that omitted many sought-after reforms by organizations across the ideological spectrum. Heritage senior research fellow, Daren Bakst, released the following response:

 

“Congress passed a bill that provides more handouts to special favored interests but does nothing to address egregious waste and abuse in the farm subsidy system, nor does it address programs that drive up food prices like the federal sugar program.

 

“In fact, the bill actually funnels more taxpayer dollars to primarily large agricultural producers and to people who by any reasonable definition are not even farmers.

 

“This bill also fails to strengthen food stamp work requirements, even though the House passed an  earlier version this year which did exactly that. Work is critical to promoting human dignity and establishing fairness between the taxpayer providing assistance and the person receiving it. Today's food stamp program does not adequately encourage work-capable beneficiaries to work.

 

“Legislators who claim they support free markets and reduced dependence on government should fight for these principles. Unfortunately, this bill is the antithesis of these principles.

 

“Congress is locking in five years of bad policy by sending this bill to the president.”