The Democrats seek to convert the Agricultural Bill into a climate spending spree. An article written by Washington Post reports that Democratic legislators are seeking substantial climate issues financing in the five-year agricultural bill.
The Post reports that the measure, which would send billions of dollars to agriculture and food programs across the nation, is being modified to “address the climate catastrophe” by adding provisions that support farmers with “green” techniques.
Along with elements geared at addressing the “climate catastrophe,” a group of 80 Democratic members of the House today created the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition’s Climate and Agricultural Task Group, which will guarantee that the farm bill contains “strong” climate provisions.
Rep. Kim Schrier, a Democrat from Washington, told the Post they have already begun preparing for the farm bill and how to support ideas that are wonderful for farmers, great for soil health, and excellent for the environment.
According to the Post, the coalition aims to establish more task teams to assist with the agricultural bill’s climate provisions. There will be a Clean Energy Deployment Task Force, Climate Jobs Task Force, Climate and National Security Task Force, and Nature and Oceans Task Force.
According to the Post, the alliance and affiliated task groups would concentrate on sustainable forestry, conservation initiatives, and research into how climate change threatens agriculture. Agriculture accounts for roughly 11% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Ben Thomas, senior policy director for agriculture at the Environmental Defense Fund, stated that he believes this farm bill might end up being a major climate victory.
Several Republican members fear that the features offered by the coalition and affiliated task committees would raise the anticipated cost of the agricultural bill. John Boozman, a member of the Senate Agricultural, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and a Republican senator from Arkansas, stated that the proposed farm bill would be the costliest ever. He said that Congress would have a lot harder time passing this agricultural bill due to the administration’s lack of sound judgment and bad decision-making.
Boozman opposed the move by the Biden administration to “dramatically” raise SNAP spending in the agricultural bill. The sum of all non-nutrition-related initiatives is almost $225 billion. The modifications and updates to the Thrifty Food plan in 2021, 2026, and 2031 will cost more than all combined expenditures outside the nutrition category. This cannot continue and must be properly debated when Congress examines the next agriculture bill, he stated.
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