Grassley Proposes Cap on Farm Subsidies

Several lawmakers from agricultural states have introduced a bill that would cap subsidy payments to farmers at 50-thousand dollars.

U-S Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa along with senators from South Dakota, Wyoming and Ohio proposed the legislation.  It’s largely similar to language contained in last year’s failed farm bill that was passed by the Senate.

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Credit www.indianagrain.com

Patrick Westhoff is the director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri - Columbia. He said with no farm-bill passed and sequestration looming, he’s not sure how much impact the proposal would have

"Right now of course we don't even know what the fate is of some these payment programs themselves," Westhoff said, " it may not matter a lot to place a limitation on a payment that no longer exists."

Meanwhile Senate Democrats have said their spending reduction package to avoid sequestration will include a measure that will eliminate direct subsidy payments to farmers.