Within an agriculture appropriations bill passed by the House this week, two attempts to cut farm subsidies failed. But in a signal of where bipartisan negotiators could turn, both got bipartisan support.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R) of Arizona won support from 84 Republicans and 102 Democrats for a measure to cut direct payments to farmers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $250,000. The measure failed 186 to 228.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) of Oregon won 40 Republican 114 Democratic votes for a related amendment to cut payments to farmers with adjusted gross incomes over $125,000. The measure failed 154 to 262.
Meanwhile, the House did vote to end a $147 million annual payment to Brazilian cotton growers. Congress had agreed to pay Brazilian cotton growers because it wanted to continue to subsidize US cotton growers. So when the World Trade Organization decreed that Congress's $3 billion subsidy to US cotton growers was illegal – and Brazil challenged the subsidy – Congress's solution was to give Brazil money, too.
The strong bipartisan support for the amendment by Rep. Ron Kind (D) of Wisconsin to end the $147 million payment to Brazil, which passed 223 to 197, could indicate an openness toward revisiting the US subsidy, as well.
“Even by congressional standards, this funding doesn’t pass the laugh test,” said Congressman Flake, a cosponsor of the measure, in a statement. “The solution to extravagant subsidies to US cotton growers shouldn’t be US subsidies to Brazilian cotton growers. Eliminating this funding is a good first step in forcing Congress to pass much-needed reforms of our cotton subsidy programs.”
