Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

The nearly trillion-dollar bill on the Senate floor would provide over 10 years roughly $140 billion in farm subsidies, $55 billion or so in conservation programs and more than $750 billion in food stamp aid.

$750 billion in food stamps (three-quarters of the total spending on the "farm bill")?? If the GOP and the Tea Party really means what they stand for, this amount ought to be cut dramatically and then maybe phased out completely over the next decade.

There are a lot of government programs that the conservatives call "redistribution of wealth" and criticize vociferously. Like raising the taxes on the wealthiest 1-2% of the population. The food stamp program really is redistribution of wealth and I hear very little criticism.

Again, I say--let's watch what happens on this one. It'll tell all of us a lot about what we can expect from the "fiscally conservative" Republicans in the Congress, particularly the House, where the GOP has complete control. Talk and sound bites are cheap. Making difficult legislative decisions is tougher.