Senator Chuck Grassley introduces act to close farm bill loopholes

by | Apr 5, 2016 | News

by Ben Nuelle

Senator Chuck Grassley introduces act to close loopholes for farm subsidies left open in the 2014 Farm Bill. Grassley introduced the Farm Payment Loophole Elimination Act Tuesday.

This will close the loophole for farm subsidies that was intentionally included in the 2014 Farm Bill.

Grassley says the final farm bill language on payment limits was a bad manipulation of his amendment that passed both chambers.

?The loophole that the conference committee put in place left non-farming family members completely outside of the scope of the newly active engaged rules the department of agriculture finalized in December.?

Grassley says right now farmers are facing low commodities and unfortunately there are still people who have little or nothing to do with farming receiving payments.

?As hard as Secretary Vilsack worked to put out rules that conformed with the final language that I dislike that is in the farm bill, it probably affected one or two percent of the farmers.?

Grassley explains his provision.

?What this provision does is strike from the legislation [farm bill] that kept Vilsack in writing rules to apply it to a multitude of farmers. A high percentage of farmers. Those that aren?t actively engaged in the business of farming. Those who don?t have dirt under their fingernails. Those people that never see the farm from getting farm subsidies.?

Grassley says the best chance of the act passing is if other members of congress understand how much money will be saved by passing this bill.