Senate panel OKs farm bill, but House wants work provisions

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel approved a modest, bipartisan rewrite of federal farm and nutrition programs on Wednesday, sidestepping a fight for now but setting up a clash with House Republicans intent on beefing up work requirements for food stamps. The legislation, approved by a bipartisan 20-1 vote, would renew farm safety-net programs such as subsidies for crop insurance, farm credit and land conservation.

It also would extend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, widely known as food stamps, which helps feed more than 40 million people.

The panel’s approval comes as farm country is struggling with low prices and a potential trade war that could depress farm commodities prices further. The legislation was drafted along traditionally bipartisan lines to ease its passage through the closely divided Senate, where Democrats have significant influence over most legislation. Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., worked closely with top panel Democrat Debbie Stabenow of Michigan to produce the legislation, which aims to reduce fraud in the food stamp program but avoids controversial efforts to impose stricter work requirements and provisions to restrict eligibility.

“We’ve put our political differences aside,” Stabenow said. The House measure, which failed last month because of an intra-GOP battle over immigration, promises greater job-training opportunities for recipients of food stamps, a top priority for House leaders like Speaker Paul Ryan.