Senate Definition of Reform? Give Rich Farmers More Aid

Maybe there is a different definition of the word “reform” in Washington than in the rest of the country. How else can one account for the latest version of the farm bill, approved last week by the Senate Agriculture Committee?

The bill, which Congress renews every five years, was supposed to cut giveaways to agribusiness and other wasteful spending. Indeed, Senate negotiators hailed the $23 billion in cost reductions over the next 10 years as one of the biggest shakeups in agriculture policy in generations. The committee achieved the savings by cutting some farm subsidies and trimming spending on environmental conservation and the food stamp program, which also falls under the farm bill.