Congress Rejects Farm Bill Containing $1.4 Billion for Rural Energy

In a move that surprised many last week, the House of Representatives voted down a version of the 2013 “Farm Bill,” which provides funding for agriculture programs over a period of five years. The measure, which failed by a vote of 195-234 with significant bipartisan opposition, would have provided $1.4 billion in discretionary funding for rural energy programs. These programs, which also received funding in the Senate version of the Farm Bill that passed earlier in the month, predominantly support the production of biofuels. These subsidies have been a source of contention in the debate over the major vehicle for U.S. agriculture policy, with opponents of rural energy programs questioning the need to continue to provide support to an energy source that is already heavily subsidized.