Peterson Statement: House Reconciliation Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., today made the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012. The Act cuts $35.8 billion from nutrition programs under Agriculture Committee jurisdiction. Peterson voted against the bill. “Everything must be on the table if we are going to have a serious conversation about getting our budget under control. Refusing to consider large budget items like defense and choosing instead to slash nutrition programs that feed millions of hard-working families is not the way to balance our budget. Since we know this isn't going anywhere the only thing that will likely come out of this vote is an even more divided Congress. “The farm bill expires this fall and while the Agriculture Committee has a strong history of bipartisanship I worry that if we continue down this partisan path it will be far more difficult to pass a farm bill this year.”