On Thursday, the Senate passed the $498 billion five-year Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012. Lawmakers like Senator Pat Roberts of Kentucky champion the bill as an example of what can happen with bipartisan support.
As approved earlier this week, the bill expands crop insurance while making cuts in food stamps and subsidies. The bill proposes $23.6 billion in spending cuts, with $4.5 billion coming from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) alone.
The bill will now make its way to The House, which will begin working on it on July 11. But stay tuned -- the House wants to make even deeper cuts to the food stamp program than the Senate has made.