The House and Senate are figuring out how to pass the new Farm Bill, and Congressman Sean Duffy is touting the needs of Wisconsin farmers.
Duffy wants to ensure that Wisconsin farmers have access to fair assistance from Washington.
“Making sure that we have a risk management program in place, that’s actually beneficial to our farmers. That we’re increasing coverage and we’re allowing some of our smaller farmers to purchase that coverage at improved prices, I think is important.”
Duffy is also advocating for proposed changes to the bill that would increase work requirements to get food assistance for able bodied adults without children. He wants to see the House’s proposed changes to the SNAP nutrition program become part of the final bill.
“We want to say if you’re an able-bodied adult, so you’re not a senior, you’re not a kid, you’re not having a mental or physical disability, and you don’t have little kids, you can’t sit at home and watch SportsCenter!”
The change would increase the number of adults subject to work requirements to receive food benefits, including those who are caring for school age children.
“If you’ve fallen on hard times, we’ve got a program that’s going to help you. If we have kids that can’t eat, we have a program that’s going to feed them. All we’re recognizing here is that in America we have help wanted signs in every community in every state.”
Duffy also thanked the House and Senate members that recently repaired the failed Dairy Margin Protection Program. Wednesday’s conference committee meeting was all opening statements with no debate or negotiation of the differences between the House and Senate bills.