Here is Why the Republican Party Needs an Enema

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The House on Wednesday approved a mammoth $956 billion farm bill in a bipartisan vote.

Members approved the House-Senate agreement on farm policy in a 251-166 vote. A majority of Republicans backed the bill, with only 63 voting "no." But a majority of Democrats opposed it, with 103 voting against.

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While dozens of Republicans opposed the bill, none argued against it during debate, perhaps in part because Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said they support it.

In addition to the House leaders, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) voted for it, as did Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

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A majority of the spending in the bill is for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), informally called the food stamp program

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Democrats opposed to the bill complained about cuts to federal food stamps... much of the Democratic opposition came from members who opposed the $8 billion cut to the program. The original House proposal would have cut $39 billion from food stamps, while the Senate-passed bill called for a $4 billion cut.

“This bill will make hunger worse in America, not better,” said Rep. James McGovern (Mass.), who has led the House Democrats’ charge against cuts to the program. “If this bill passes, thousands and thousands of low-income Americans will see their already meager food benefit shrink.”

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The bill finds $8.6 billion in savings by requiring households to receive at least $20 per year in home heating assistance before they automatically qualify for food stamps, instead of the $1 threshold now in place in some states. ... Democrats said the cut is unkind given the benefits given to wealthy farmers under the bill. Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.)

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