Environmental Groups Back Senate Farm Bill Over House Version

摘要

Environmental and sustainable agriculture groups are urging lawmakers to approve a 2018 farm bill that is as close to the bipartisan Senate version as possible, raising concerns with provisions in the Republican House bill that would ease several EPA pesticide rules and repeal the Obama-era Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction rule. "Congress is at a crossroads," Erik Olson, Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) director of advocacy initiatives on health, food, and agriculture, said at an Oct. 15 press conference. One road is an easy path forward by adopting the bill the Senate passed June 23 on an 86-11 vote, he said. The other is a "partisan-divisive path," which is a formula for no bill passing, he said. The House version of the farm bill slipped through the House 213-211, on June 21, with all Democrats voting against the measure.