U.S. House to Tackle Farm Bill Again in July

Jul 02, 2013

U.S. House to Tackle Farm Bill Again in July

House Republicans plan to give the farm bill another look for the second time this year. But Republican leaders are still mulling over what the legislation should look like and are assessing the votes they need to pass it.

The House needs to secure 218 votes to pass a new five-year farm bill. The House farm bill was defeated 195-234 vote, over the controversial food stamp [SNAP] program. Republicans said cuts to the food program weren’t enough, while Democrats said they couldn’t support more cuts on a program used by 48 million Americans.

There has been talk of splitting the farm bill into two – food stamps and farm subsidies, but several representatives including Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) don’t believe there is enough support for splitting the bill. The biggest obstacle in the farm bill is food stamps, which represents 80% of the legislation. The 2008 farm bill extension expires Sept. 30.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.