So MNCD1 congressional candidate Allen Quist dusted off his red graph once more for a press conference attacking the Farm Bill at Mankato's library, then took off for more newsers at the finest dining establishments in Rochester and Winona.
Tim Krohn at the Mankato Free Press reports in 1st District candidate Quist criticizes farm bill proposal:
While a broad coalition of farm groups is calling for Congress to pass a proposed farm bill this month, congressional candidate and farmer Allen Quist said the proposed bill spends too much on food stamps and should be sent back to committees for changes.“It’s a bill that puts me in a difficult position,” said Quist, the Republican candidate hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Mankato. Although he has garnered subsidies from the farm bills as a longtime crop farmer, Quist said cutting spending and reining in the federal deficit are more important to 1st District farmers and residents than passing a bad farm bill.
Quist noted 80 percent of the farm bill spending would go for food stamps, with 11 percent for farm subsidies and 9 percent for conservation programs.
And food stamps? An attack on marriage! Krohn writes:
He also said the program discriminates against married people by making it easier to get food stamps if you are single. “That is a reason why two-thirds of food stamps go to unmarried people.”
Yes, all across Southern Minnesota, rose-lipt maidens and many a lightfoot lad have broken their engagements because they so wanted food stamps. At least, statistics cited by the Atlantic suggests that they're maidens and lads, what with being so young:
Children under 18 account for 47 percent of all food stamp recipients. Eight percent are seniors.
KEYC-TV covered the presser, but also checked in with MN Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap, who talked about the foolisness of separating farm and food policy:
President of MN Farm Bureau Kevin Paap disagrees saying there is reason agriculture and food are together.
Paap says, "Every senator every rep have constituents that eat, very few have those that farm. If we had a farm bill that stood alone by itself, it would never pass the house of reps, we'd only have 70–80 votes."
Paap says a lot of work and compromise has been put into the bill and for farmers sake, it needs to pass soon.
Paap says, "Even though we are getting close to harvesting this years crop, we are already making decisions on next years crop...how can we decide what we want to plant for crops if we don't know what the farm programs are going to be?"
. . .The bill passed the senate with bipartisan support, and is now in the house agriculture committee.
There are 8 congressional days between now and the election.
The Tim Walz Campaign says that Quist is just calling for more delays and gridlock in Washington, which is bad for Minnesota Farmers.
The Farm Bureau has declined to endorse in the First. Here's the clip:
Photo: Beef, Quist has some (top); Combining corn, via Wikipedia.
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