Significant—and Necessary—Farm Subsidy Reforms for the Next Farm Bill
https://www.heritage.org/agriculture/report/significant-and-necessary-farm-subsidy-reforms-the-next-farm-billApril 17, 2018
SUMMARY In April, the House Agriculture Committee released its draft farm bill. The legislation does not reform the out-of-control farm-handout system as it should—it makes it worse. Congress should not waste this opportunity to reform farm subsidies. The significant reforms listed in this Issue Brief would still leave an overly generous safety net in place, but would start the process of getting the federal government out of farm policy: Congress would start giving farmers and ranchers the freedom to compete like other businesses throughout the economy. Anything short of these reforms would be a disservice to farmers, taxpayers, and consumers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The new House Agriculture Committee farm bill draft does not reform the out-of-control farm subsidy system as it should—it makes it worse.
The next farm bill should include, at a minimum, some important and commonsense subsidy reforms that move farm policy in the right direction.
Congress should give farmers and ranchers the freedom to compete like other businesses, and should start to get the federal government out of farm policy....
