Checking in on the Farm Bill
As the R Street Institute joked on Twitter, this year’s Farm Bill took a similar approach to commodity payments as Oprah does with prizes — everyone in the audience gets some! Current law is already generous; not only is an actively engaged farmer eligible for up to $125,000 in subsidies, but so too is his spouse and all of his family members and all of their spouses. Under the House’s legislation, Congress would have expanded the definition of a “family member” to a ludicrous extreme, including cousins, nieces, and nephews — and you guessed it, their spouses too!
