Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), joined by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), today introduced bipartisan legislation to rein in abuse of the farm payment system and ensure taxpayer support is targeted to those actively engaged in farming. The Farm Program Integrity Act would create a hard cap of $250,000 in total commodity support for any one farm operation and require beneficiaries of the system spend at least 50 percent of each year engaged in farm labor or management. Currently, just 10 percent of farm operations receive 70 percent of all yearly farm payment subsidies.
“It isn’t right to send bloated farm payments to people who are more familiar with an office chair than a tractor seat,” Grassley said. “This bill brings honesty to the farm payment system and prioritizes farming families over mega farms. Hard-earned tax dollars should only be sent to hard-working farmers – those with calluses on their hands and dirt under their fingernails.”
Source: senate.gov
Categories: Iowa, Government & Policy