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March 14, 2013
Budget Proposals Suggest Cuts to Agriculture
For more information on Newsline, contact: Johnna Miller, Director of Media Development, American Farm Bureau Federation johnnam@fb.org
There are big differences between the House and Senate budget plans. American Farm Bureau economist Matt Erickson explains what those two proposals recommend for the nation’s farm safety net. AFBF’s Johnna Miller has that story.
| Miller: | It was a big week for budgets on Capitol Hill. Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray – chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees - released their competing budget plans for next year. Ryan’s plan would cut the federal budget by $4.6 trillion over 10 years. Murray’s would cut $1.9 trillion over the next decade. Ryan says his aim is to balance the budget. Murray says hers is to boost the economy. |
| Erickson: | The big debate coming up here is going to be is balancing the budget in the next decade the best approach to bolster the economy? That’s the next wait-and-see game within this whole budget process. And President Barack Obama is expected to finally release his budget the week of April 8th which is about two months late according to law. |
| Miller: | American Farm Bureau economist Matt Erickson says both plans take aim at agriculture. Ryan’s proposal cuts agriculture programs by $31 billion, while Murray’s plan cuts them by $23 billion. |
| Erickson: | Of course $31 billion is greater than $23 billion, but both are quite frankly draconian cuts to agriculture and to the farm safety net, which is really incredibly frustrating. |
| Miller: | Erickson says the frustration is because it appears that both sides of the aisle are only looking at the current situation, not the long-term. |
| Erickson: | Even though times are good for agriculture, a farm bill must be written and designed for bad times and not for the good times. Isn’t that the true definition of a safety net? So we need to keep that focus in mind when we write this next farm bill. |
| Miller: | Johnna Miller, Washington. |
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