Farm Bill Advances to House Floor Along Mostly Party Lines

The House Agriculture Committee voted early Thursday to send a farm bill to the floor for consideration by the chamber after two days of debate over rural and nutrition policy.

The panel’s 34-17 advancement of the measure (H.R. 7567) along mostly partisan lines signals the hurdles this package faces to becoming law, considering farm bills historically have needed some Democratic support to overcome fiscal conservatives’ opposition to its cost. House Agriculture Chair GT Thompson (R-Pa.) reiterated throughout the hearing his goal was to send the full House a “cost neutral” package.

Lawmakers filed more than 150 amendments and ...