One version of a $1.5 trillion farm bill passed through the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee last night, paving the way for legislation that would result in 2.3 million fewer people receiving food aid across the world.
It passed with a 33-21 vote largely along party lines. That doesn’t mean the legislation will actually become law, but it does set the stage for a lengthy legislative process — one that will take months of debate, deliberation, and discussion to square versions of the farm bill across both the Republican-led House and the Democratic-led Senate.
“Its provisions would effectively end our work to address the root causes of global hunger and malnutrition and seriously compromise humanitarian food aid programs,” wrote Catholic Relief Services, CARE, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, and World Vision in a statement released this week. “At a time of rising hunger and malnutrition, this is unacceptable.”
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
