House Republicans’ farm bill would add tobacco back to a list of agricultural commodities eligible for disaster and economic aid through the Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corp., thanks to an amendment offered by Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) adopted during a markup that started Tuesday evening.
The amendment would reverse the exclusion of tobacco farmers from eligibility for financial assistance that USDA is allocated through the CCC, which can contain up to $30 billion. Tobacco farmers are currently eligible to receive disaster aid allocated by Congress, but not CCC funds.
Rouzer called the amendment a “technical correction.” Fellow North Carolina Rep. Don Davis (D) also backed the move.
Committee ranking member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) argued that the amendment goes against Congress’ 2004 move to end the CCC’s tobacco price support loan program and that created a buyout to compensate producers.
