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Senate leadership agrees to restore crop insurance cuts

Senate leadership has agreed on a deal to restore three-billion dollars in cuts to the crop insurance program – following an agreement by House leadership to do the same.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says he is pleased the House and Senate leadership have listened to House and Senate Ag Committee concerns and agreed to restore funds to crop insurance.  Although the cuts are still included in the budget bill, leaders have promised to reverse the provision in the upcoming omnibus spending bill.  Roberts says he has worked his entire career to build crop insurance as a public/private partnership that protects producers and tax payers.

Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow says she opposes reopening Farm Bill programs and says it is critical that Congress passes a bipartisan budget agreement and says she will support the Bipartisan Budget Act.

The Senate is expected to vote on the budget yet this week.