WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a budget that would cut $177 billion from America’s agriculture budget.
However, congressman Collin Peterson of Minnesota said the proposed reduction has little to no chance of becoming law.
Peterson told the North American Agricultural Journalists annual meeting in Washington that the budget proposed by the Republican controlled House is a non starter because the cuts are too severe.
“The baseline is $763 billion and there would be $177 (billion) taken off. So the new baseline under this (proposal) would be $585 billion,” he said.
House budget committee chair Paul Ryan recommended the massive cuts to agriculture and food programs as part of his 2012 budget proposal. Cutbacks include a $30 billion reduction in commodity supports, a $127 billion cut to food stamps and a $15 million cut to conservation programs.
“He (Ryan) is not a friend of farm programs,” Peterson said. “What they’re doing on the House side, given these numbers, I don’t think is realistic. It’s a lot of ideology.”
Peterson said Ryan’s proposal won’t become law because the Senate and the House must both agree on the budget.
The Senate is also considering cuts to agriculture but the reductions are more moderate, he added.
“The House is going to pass a budget, the Senate’s going to pass a budget, and I don’t think that there’s any chance that they are going to be reconciled.”
U.S. farmers should expect less government support in the upcoming budget, he added, but agriculture should be treated the same as other departments.
“But it (Ryan’s budget) is not proportional because we (agriculture) are taking a 20 percent reduction.”
