U.S. House Passes Ag-Only Farm Bill

Jul 11, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

In a close vote, the U.S. House passed an ag-only farm bill Thursday. For the first time, it cut out food aid, which left a standalone farm policy piece of legislation. The vote tally was 216-208.

The new House farm bill comes after the House turned down a five-year bill last month. A group of Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, as they hoped for deeper cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps.

Republican leader’s strategy was to split the farm bill in two, to gain more conservative votes – dealing only with farm policy. Democrats fired back accusing the Republicans of turning the farm legislation into a partisan bill, which fails to protect America’s poor.

The Republican-controlled House defied a White House veto warning that was issued Wednesday. The Senate passed its own version of the farm bill earlier this month. Congress doesn’t have much time to pass a singular bill to garner the support of both houses of Congress. The 2008 farm bill extension ends Sept. 30th.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.