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Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) joined his colleagues in adopting the conference report of H.R. 2419, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill), to ease the strain of rising food prices for millions of families while strengthening American agriculture to meet the needs of the 21st century with a safe and stable food supply.
“As millions of American families continue to struggle with skyrocketing food prices, gas prices, job losses, and foreclosures, Congress is responding with responsible legislation such as the Farm Bill,” Congressman Cummings said. “This legislation offers critical support to hungry families, expands nutrition programs in schools, and strengthens our agriculture industry with the most significant reforms in more than 30 years.”
The bill, which passed the House by a vote of 318-106, would help struggling families cope with rising food prices by increasing the minimum monthly benefit of food stamps from $10 for the first time in 30 years, assisting 11 million people in the next four years. It also provides an additional $1.25 billion in support to food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens, with $50 million for immediate shortages at food pantries.
Additionally, the bill would help ease the surging price of food in the long-run by providing a $3.8 billion disaster relief program for farmers hit by droughts or flooding, allowing them to bring crops to market faster. It would also reduce tax credits for corn-based ethanol—which has been affecting the price of corn—and instead subsidize more efficient ethanol, made from stalks, wood, and grass.
“We must be prepared to address the changing needs of the world around us by investing in both short- and long-term progress,” Congressman Cummings said. “I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass their version of this bill and urge the President to invest in the priorities important to hardworking Americans by signing this important piece of legislation.”
Other highlights of the bill include:
Under the pay-go rules adopted by the Democratic-led Congress, all of the new spending in the bill is fully paid for to prevent further increases to the national debt that has skyrocketed since 2001.
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