Peterson Calls Process a Waste of Time

The House Agriculture Committee met Wednesday to consider a proposal to satisfy the Committee's reconciliation instructions required by House Concurrent Resolution 112. The Committee passed the reconciliation measure by voice vote. Included are 33-billion dollars in cuts to federal nutrition spending over 10 years. The savings are achieved through reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. House Ag Chair Frank Lucas says the cuts will close loopholes, reduce waste and abuse and increase the integrity of the program. Costs would be cut by four-percent. According to Lucas - the proposals represent common sense and good government in a time of fiscal restraint. The measure now goes to the House Budget Committee.

Ranking Member Collin Peterson called the process a waste of time in his opening remarks - noting the Senate has not agreed to reconciliation and would almost certainly not touch the bill. He also argued that the proposal before the committee was not serious. According to Peterson - you can't have a serious conversation about getting the budget under control when large items like defense are off the table. He said taking a meat ax to nutrition programs that feed millions of hard-working families in an effort to avoid defense cuts is not a serious way to achieve deficit reduction.

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