Looking at Options

Looking at Options. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

Ag Senator Chuck Grassley says a rare scolding by the House GOP Leader of Chairmen who voted against the farm bill last month is a sign the GOP Leadership is chafing over its failure to pass the bill - and is now desperate for a solution. But one may be at hand. The Hill paper Roll Call reported Tuesday GOP Leaders decided to drop food stamps from the farm bill and were now whipping the farm-only part of the bill to see if there were enough votes for possible action this week. Food stamps that sunk the farm bill last month would be dealt with later. Grassley was asked about a tense, closed-door meeting between House GOP Leader Eric Cantor and several GOP Committee Chairmen who voted against the farm bill. Several sources told Hill media that Cantor scolded the Chairs for not backing the farm bill even when leadership had supported their amendments - and warned them their bills could face hurdles unless they tow the party line. Over in the Senate - Grassley had this.

GRASSLEY: The House leadership is chafing because they seem to be inept that they can’t get a simple farm bill passed and they may want to do anything to get this out of their bailiwick into conference so they can’t be accused of ineptness.
 
Grassley sees the Cantor meeting as a sign of panic.

GRASSLEY: I see it from a standpoint of panic on the part of House leadership with a charge of ineptness for them to use their raw political power to get people to reconsider and get a bill passed.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.