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Farm Bill Falls Victim to Partisan Politics

June 20, 2013

Democrats Stand Ready to Work with Republicans on Compromise for the American People

Washington - Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives voted down H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARM) Act:

"This week partisan politics continued to plague Congress. No action was taken to help our economy. No legislation was brought up to strengthen employment. Instead, time was wasted on a harmful farm bill that in the end garnered nowhere near the support needed for what would have been a symbolic passage.

"Last Saturday, when farmers in East Hartford, South Windsor and Glastonbury saw hundreds of acres of their crops flooded almost overnight, local officials and experts were on the scene within 24 hours, looking to do all they could to help. That day there were no Republicans or Democrats, only Americans doing what needed to be done to help one another. Washington should take note of that attitude, stop wasting time and work together for the American people.

"As we revisit the farm bill after today's debacle, we must work together to stop the painful cuts to food aid for our most vulnerable populations. In addition to preventing nearly 2 million Americans from losing vital food assistance, it is crucial that we address issues with crop insurance to ensure our farmers are able to recover from disasters like the flooding in Connecticut just this past weekend. Moving forward, I stand ready to work with Members on both sides of the aisle to strengthen this bill for our nation."

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Issues:Economy