<p>Lawmakers are in the final stretch towards passing a farm bill, according to VT Digger. During the mid-January break from Congress, Rep. Peter Welch spoke at a joint Agriculture Committee meeting to provide an update on the federal farm bill. Welch says that lawmakers are close to reaching a deal and that the current disagreements regarding the measure's delayed 5-year renewal involve several issues, but that a resolution is close.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">He said lawmakers are still negotiating over the federal food stamp program, called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Senate lawmakers are proposing a $4 billion cut over 10 years, while the GOP-controlled House voted last year to cut $40 billion from the program.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“The Congress right now is to the detriment of solving problems, focused just on spending,” Welch said, referencing what he called an “ideological battle” at the forefront of the program’s debate.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">He said the farm bill includes provisions such as disaster insurance for small vegetable growers, promotions for fruits and vegetables in school lunches, support for efficiency improvements in the maple sugar industry and support for organic farms and food. The bill could also include an amendment to allow hemp to be grown for studies.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The farm bill is currently involved in a joint conference committee to hammer out differences between the two competing versions of the bill. Welch said that he has spoken with high-ranking members of the committee, including Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and he now believes that a deal is close at hand.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://vtdigger.org/2014/01/23/welch-says-deal-farm-bill-close/">VT Digger</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
