As an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill nears its end, the US Senate passed its version of a new five year bill.
The bill expands the federally subsidized crop insurance program but reduces the amount government will pay for farmers that make more than $750,000 a year in adjusted gross income.
Dr. Bill Bailey, the Director of the Western Illinois University Department of Agriculture, said the bill will hit farmers other than just the largest producers.
He also said that the bill make affect environmental programs, because the government uses subsidies as leverage to ensure farmers follow environmental guidelines.
It was driven by a variety of factors, some of which were political, some of which were budgetary, and not a lot of the driving force was policy...
Bailey said when limits like this are passed, farmers and their lawyers often simply find ways to work around them.
The bill might come up for a vote in the House later this month. The failed 2012 version of the bill also passed the Senate but was never called for a vote on the floor of the House.
