WASHINGTON, July 8, 2012 – The House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to start consideration of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM) during a business meeting on Wednesday morning. That may be the easy part - at least compared to advancing the bill for final passage by the full U.S. House of Representatives.
Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., a veteran of three previous farm bills and now, his first as Chairman, understands the difficult challenges involved with keeping diverse interests focused on the final goal – passage before the current bill expires on Sept. 30. So as much as anyone might complain about provisions in the bill that was introduced last week, failure to act will mean a much leaner extension of current law - which carries its own share of political baggage.
But even with ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., walking in virtual lockstep on the need to get the bill into conference committee, Lucas needs to corral 17 freshman members who are working on their first farm bill and their first re-election campaigns at the same time.
For some of those fiscally conscious freshman, the FARRM Act’s $35 billion in net savings over 10 years represents barely a tip of the federal deficit “iceberg” which almost all of them pledged to pare down. But many of them can hang their hats on the current farm bill draft and efforts to cut what they describe as “fraud, waste and abuse.” On the commodity title, they’ve signed on to cutting $5 billion out of farmers and lenders’ pocket books that had come from direct payments. In addition, they’ll support a target price program that triggers when prices drop below certain levels for each crop and new enhancements in the public/private crop insurance program.
On the food stamp or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), some GOP members believe that the proposed $16 billion in cuts over the next ten years represent just a start at cutting back on waste, fraud and abuse in a program that’s ballooned by about $80 billion since the 2008 farm bill was scored last year. But for many of Peterson’s fellow Democrats, who have already gone ballistic with their criticism on this issue since the measure was released last week, the food stamp cuts are far too draconian.
So if the measure sails through the House Ag Committee on Wednesday, as expected, it’s still uncertain whether or not the bill will go to the House floor in the 13 legislative days remaining before the August recess. If it does, the House floor debate could be a farm and food fight of epic proportions.
Meanwhile, House Republicans plan to focus on another issue that could have tremendous impact on rural America this week: Health care. GOP leaders plan to move forward with repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which they’ve dubbed the “Repeal of Obamacare Act.” The House will start with a debate on the rule for the bill Tuesday, and is expected to finish work on the bill on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Senate is scheduled to vote on confirmation of John Fowlkes to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee. Later in the afternoon, the Senate will vote to end debate on a motion to proceed to S. 2237, the Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act. That measure would reduce taxes on wages paid on the first $5 million above 2011 wages.
For other scheduled events and reports this week.
Monday, July 9:
The Senate and the House of Representatives will reconvene at 2:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m., House Committee on Rules, Hearing: H.R. ____ Repeal of Obamacare Act, The Capitol H-313.
House of Representatives Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
1) H.R. 4155 - Veteran Skills to Jobs Act (Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Denham / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
2) H.R. 4114 - Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Rep. Jon Runyan / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
3) H.R. 4367 - To amend the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to limit the fee disclosure requirement for an automatic teller machine to the screen of that machine (Sponsored by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer / Financial Services Committee)
4) H.R. 5892 - Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers / Energy and Commerce Committee)
5) H.R. 6019 - Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act of 2012, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee / Judiciary Committee)
6) S. 1959 - Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr / Judiciary Committee)
7) S. 2061 - Former Charleston Naval Base Land Exchange Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham / Judiciary Committee)
USDA Report: Crop Progress
Tuesday, July 10:
The House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
Begin Consideration of H.R. __ - Repeal of Obamacare Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Energy and Commerce Committee / Ways and Means Committee / Education and the Workforce Committee)
10:00 a.m., House Committee on Financial Services | Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, Hearing: “The Impact of Dodd-Frank on Customers, Credit, and Job Creators”, 2128 Rayburn House Office Building.
10:00 a.m., House Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Energy and Power, Hearing: American Energy Initiative, 2322 Rayburn House Office Building.
10:30 a.m., House Committee on Ways and Means, Hearing: The Tax Ramifications of the Supreme Court’s Ruling on the Democrat’s Health Care Law, 1100 Longworth House Office Building.
3:00 p.m., House Committee on the Judiciary | Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet, Hearing: The Dodd-Frank Act's Effects on Financial Services Competition, 2141 Rayburn House Office Building.
Deputy Secretary Merrigan will meet with the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council in Gunston Hall, VA.
Wednesday, July 11:
The House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.
10:00 a.m., House Committee on Agriculture, Business Meeting: To consider the 2012 Farm Bill, 1300 Longworth House Office Building.
10:00 a.m., House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Hearing: RIN Fraud: EPA's Efforts to Ensure Market Integrity in the Renewable Fuels Program, 2322 Rayburn House Office Building.
10:00 a.m., House Committee on Financial Services | Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, Hearing: The Impact of Dodd-Frank’s Home Mortgage Reforms: Consumer and Market Perspectives, 2128 Rayburn House Office Building.
12:00 p.m., House Committee on Small Business, Hearing: Is FMCSA’s CSA Program Driving Small Businesses Off the Road? 2360 Rayburn House Office Building.
USDA Reports: U.S. Agricultural Trade Data, Crop Production, World Agricultural Production, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, Season-Average Price Forecast
Thursday, July 12:
The House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected no later than 3:00 p.m.
Complete Consideration of H.R. __ - Repeal of Obamacare Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Energy and Commerce Committee / Ways and Means Committee / Education and the Workforce Committee)
H.R. 4402 - National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei / Natural Resources Committee / Judiciary Committee)
9:30 a.m., Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Hearing: Oil Well Remediation in Alaska, 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
9:30 a.m., House Committee on the Judiciary | Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law, Hearing: Clearing the Way for Jobs and Growth: Retrospective Review to Reduce Red Tape and Regulations, 2141 Rayburn House Office Building.
12:00 p.m., House Committee on Small Business | Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations, Hearing: Sinking the Marine Industry: How Regulations are Affecting Today’s Maritime Businesses, 2360 Rayburn House Office Building.
USDA Report: U.S. Export Sales
Friday, July 13:
8:00 a.m., House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Field Hearing: America's Energy Future Part I: A Review of Unnecessary and Burdensome Regulations, University of Central Oklahoma, 100 North University Drive, Edmond, OK 73034.
USDA Reports: Feed Outlook, Wheat Outlook
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