If you're going to look for things that fit nicely into a thread entitled "Republican Idiots Strike Again," you will certainly discover a target-rich environment. However, I don't view this issue in the same way as the author of the piece you linked.
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Originally Posted by timpage
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Actually, that article doesn't explain very much at all. Its title says that the farm bill "lays bare House dysfunction." But that dysfunction was laid bare years ago when congress first wrapped SNAP and ag support programs into one bill.
This allows logrolling at its worst. Alliances of red-state Republicans and urban liberals support the other side's pet programs without having to justify their own. For instance, even the Bush administration and the Republican majority in the early '00s dramatically expanded food stamp eligibility as part of a quid pro quo that cost taxpayers billions, since the deal structure also included a substantial rise in farm support programs -- many of which primarily benefit relatively affluent farmers and agribusinesses. These people rarely meet a lobbyist they're not willing to accommodate.
On the other side of the ledger, SNAP enrollment has ballooned to a far greater extent than can be explained by the number of households affected by unemployment and/or poverty. Pushers of the program are even running radio and TV ads now, since a number of eligible people apparently don't even know they qualify.
On many issues, it's nice to see lawmakers work together in bipartisan fashion to solve problems. But this isn't one of them. We would be far better off if everything connected with agricultural subsidies and support were separated from SNAP. Then supporters of each program would have to justify it on its own.
Republican idiots strike again
