Thursday's home stretch debate in the House on the agriculture appropriations bill continued to reveal a split within the Republican party between those who are looking for more dramatic spending cuts, and those from farm states who have an interest in protecting farm programs from further reductions.
In early morning debate, for example, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) proposed the elimination of countercyclical payments for U.S. cotton producers. Flake said the language is needed in order to help save another $147 million that the U.S. pays to Brazil to settle a trade dispute about U.S. cotton subsidies.
But this was opposed by Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), who argued among other things that the appropriations bill is not the place to write more detailed farm policy, and said this should be left to the Agriculture Committee.
Flake resisted that argument by noting that the Agriculture Committee has so far failed to handle the issue. "The expertise of the ag committee is what got us into the problem in the first place," he said.
Flake's amendment was rejected in a voice vote.
Later, Flake proposed banning federal farm payments to farmers with an adjusted gross income over $250,000. Flake said this would save a significant amount of money because currently, payments can be made to farmers with adjust gross incomes up to $1.25 million.
But House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) objected to what he said would be an arbitrary change to U.S. farm policy. "This is not the way that we should do business," he said. A recorded vote on this proposal will happen later Thursday.
Another amendment prompted House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Chairman Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) to more reluctantly oppose deeper cuts offered by a Republican. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) proposed cutting all elements of the bill by 5 percent, to save $675 million.
But Kingston opposed this because the agriculture appropriations bill reflects the House-passed budget for 2012, which right now is the only formal spending plan out there for 2012. "The only bill that we have an opportunity to move is under the Ryan budget, which is what this bill reflects," Kingston said.
Blackburn's amendment will also come up for a recorded vote later today.
