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U.S. NEWS Thursday 13 december 2018

Congress approves $400 billion for farmers, forests, poor

Continued from Front blocked it over an unre- est management and in im-
lated immigration issue. proving work requirements
House Agriculture Commit- It passed a second time for certain SNAP recipients,
tee Chairman Rep. Michael around, but without any this bill does include several
Conaway, R-Texas, said support from Democrats, helpful provisions and we
the final bill looks at “stress- who insisted they wouldn’t will continue to build upon
es and strains across all of vote for a bill with the new these through our authori-
rural America, economic work requirements includ- ties,” he said.
development issues and ed. The bill maintains current
just the practice of farming “The version we passed in limits on farm subsidies, but
and ranching. It says: here June took bold steps to re- includes a House provision
are federal resources we forming SNAP and moving to expand the definition
want to put against those in the direction most of us of family to include first
problems.” believed was supported cousins, nieces and neph- In this September 2018 photo provided by Clarenda “Cee”
One thing the bill doesn’t by the American people,” ews, making them eligible Stanley-Anderson, Stanley-Anderson and her husband, Mal-
include: tighter work re- Conaway said. for payments under the colm Anderson Sr., pose for pictures of their hemp-farming
quirements for food stamp “That was not supported program.q
recipients, a provision of broadly by the body across business, Green Heffa Farms, Inc., in Liberty, N.C.
the House bill that was cel- the building, and we made Associated Press
ebrated by President Don- the compromise necessary
ald Trump but became a to get us to this place.”
major sticking point during The House and Senate also
negotiations. clashed over portions of
Another contentious piece the bill’s forestry and con-
of the House’s original leg- servation sections.
islation, relaxing restric- Negotiations were com-
tions on pesticide use, also plicated in recent weeks
didn’t make it into the final when the White House
text. asked Congress to make
Conaway championed changes to the forestry sec-
the stricter work require- tion in response to deadly
ments, and fought to re- wildfires in California, giving
strict the ability of states more authority to the Agri-
to issue waivers to exempt culture and Interior depart-
work-eligible people. ments to clear forests and
The House measure also other public lands.
sought to limit circum- The final text doesn’t signifi-
stances under which fami- cantly increase the agen-
lies who qualify for other cies’ authority.
poverty programs can au- Agriculture Secretary Sonny
tomatically be eligible for Perdue said the bill will help
SNAP, the Supplemental producers “make decisions
Nutrition Assistance Pro- about the future, while also
gram, and earmarked $1 investing in important agri-
billion to expand work- cultural research and sup-
training programs. porting trade programs to
The bill does increase fund- bolster export.”
ing for employment and But he voiced disap-
training programs from $90 pointment over the failed
million to $103 million. changes to work require-
The original House bill failed ments.
during its first floor vote “While I feel there were
when 30 GOP members missed opportunities in for-