WASHINGTON — The Senate easily passed a sprawling farm bill, 87 to 13, on Tuesday, advancing an ambitious $867 billion measure that rejected stricter work requirements for food-stamp recipients that were pushed by House Republicans and cheered by President Trump. “By working across the aisle, we overcame many differences to deliver a strong, bipartisan farm bill for our farmers, families, and rural communities,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee. “The farm bill is a good bill for our farmers and everyone who eats.”The chief point of contention was the House’s inclusion of new work requirements for able-bodied adults seeking food stamps. Conservatives had also hoped to close a loophole in the limited work requirements in existing law that allows states to waive the requirements in areas with high unemployment rates. Both measures received backing from Mr. Trump, who had called the new requirements “imperative.”

Source: New York Times December 11, 2018 23:31 UTC