The Senate overwhelmingly approved its version of the Farm Bill on June 10, 2012 with a vote of 66-27. There is plenty to say about what is in the $955 billion legislation—with more than $760 billion for going to food stamps and nutrition programs, and billions more going to various other programs, it seems that […]
Mixed News on Defense
The summer appropriations process for the Department of Defense (DOD), beginning with the initial authorizing bills, has thus far brought a mixed bag of news. On the positive side, the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directs the Pentagon to look for commercial products capable of performing functions currently under the purview […]
Senators Seek Elimination of Wasteful and Overlapping Benefit Payments
On June 6, NBC News and The Wall Street Journal released a poll that showed Americans blame welfare programs more than any other reason for persistent poverty in the United States. The poll was conducted between May 30 and June 2 and sampled 1,000 adults. Respondents were given a list of eight factors and were […]
The Farmers Love This Bill
“The farmers love this bill, The farmers love this bill, High, HIGH, the dairies go, The farmers love this bill!” While it’s a tortured version of the original, the verse scribbled above represents a more fitting rendition of the classic nursery rhyme these days, given ongoing congressional action. Today, the Senate will markup its version (S. […]