Today Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, issued the following statement on farm subsidies in Congress’ final farm bill:
“The farm bill released today creates new farm subsidy loopholes that will further distort the farm safety net.
“By extending farm subsidies to a farmer’s first cousins, nieces and nephews and rejecting sensible reforms designed to ensure that farm subsidies flow to actual farmers in need – not millionaires and city slickers – this farm bill takes a major step backwards.
“Other provisions to increase price guarantees and allow subsidy recipients to game the system underscore the fact that federal farm subsidies function not as a much-needed cushion for struggling family farmers, but instead as a bonus for the already wealthy.
“At a time when many farmers are facing financial ruin from President Trump’s trade war, our farm safety net should be helping family farmers, not city slickers who don’t live or work on the farm.”