This chapter is about farming and food. It says the department should do less. It wants farm subsidies cut back. It says food stamps should move to another department. It also wants school meal programs limited to children in need.
The document says “must”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 290 in the PDF
What the document says
“Congress must limit the USDA’s role.”
The chapter says a proper mission would make the department's primary focus agriculture and would clarify that its client is the American people in general rather than a subset of interests such as farmers, meatpackers or environmental groups. It says the department should remove obstacles to food production rather than try to shape the economy.
What the document actually says
“Congress must limit the USDA’s role.”
That sentence, in plain words
Congress must cut back what this department does.
What this is about
This department handles farming and food. The book says it does far too much. It says Congress should narrow its job by law.
The document says “should”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 298 in the PDF
What the document says
“Separate the agricultural provisions of the farm bill from the nutrition provisions.”
The chapter says agricultural programs should be considered in legislation distinct from food stamps and the nutrition title, on separate reauthorisation timelines, and that the two have been combined for political reasons which proponents readily admit.
What the document actually says
“Separate the agricultural provisions of the farm bill from the nutrition provisions.”
That sentence, in plain words
Take the food stamp part out of the farm law. Vote on the two apart.
What this is about
One big law covers both farming and food stamps. They are voted on together. The book says that is a political trick. It wants them split.
The document says “should”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 299 in the PDF
What the document says
“All means-tested antipoverty programs should be overseen by one department—specifically HHS, which handles most welfare programs.”
This would move food stamps and related nutrition programs out of the Agriculture Department, which currently administers them, and into the department that runs most other welfare programs.
What the document actually says
“All means-tested antipoverty programs should be overseen by one department—specifically HHS, which handles most welfare programs.”
That sentence, in plain words
One department should run all the programs that help poor people. It should be the health department.
What this is about
Food stamps are run by the farming department today. Most other help for poor people is run elsewhere. The book says one department should run them all.
The document says “should”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 296 in the PDF
What the document says
“Repeal the federal sugar program.”
The chapter describes the program as central planning whose purpose is to limit the sugar supply in order to raise prices, and says it has a regressive effect because lower-income households spend more of their money on food.
What the document actually says
“Repeal the federal sugar program.”
That sentence, in plain words
The sugar program should end. Congress should repeal it.
What this is about
One program limits how much sugar is sold. That keeps the price up. The book says poorer families feel that most. It wants the program ended.
The document says “should”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 297 in the PDF
What the document says
“At a minimum, taxpayers should not pay more than 50 percent of the premium.”
The chapter states that taxpayers cover about 60 percent of the premium cost for policies bought in the federal crop insurance program, calls reducing that one of the most widely supported and bipartisan reforms, and says taxpayers should not pay more than the farmers who benefit.
What the document actually says
“At a minimum, taxpayers should not pay more than 50 percent of the premium.”
That sentence, in plain words
Right now taxpayers pay most of this cost. They should pay no more than half.
What this is about
Farmers buy insurance for their crops. Taxpayers pay most of the cost. The book says they should pay half at most.
The document says “should”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 297 in the PDF
What the document says
“Congress should prohibit this duplication by prohibiting farmers from receiving an ARC or PLC payment the same year they receive a crop insurance indemnity.”
The chapter states that farmers can receive support from the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs and from federal crop insurance for price declines and revenue shortfalls in the same year.
What the document actually says
“Congress should prohibit this duplication by prohibiting farmers from receiving an ARC or PLC payment the same year they receive a crop insurance indemnity.”
That sentence, in plain words
A farmer can be paid twice for one bad year. Congress should stop that.
What this is about
A farmer can claim from two programs at once. Both cover the same loss. The book says only one should pay.
The document says “should”Who acts: Congress, USDAHow: legislationp. 303 in the PDF
What the document says
“Work with lawmakers to eliminate CEP.”
The Community Eligibility Provision lets schools in high-poverty areas serve free meals to all pupils without individual applications. The chapter says school meal programs should serve children in need rather than become an entitlement for students from middle and upper income homes. It separately asks for a rule clarifying that only a whole school or whole district, not a subset of schools, can qualify.
What the document actually says
“Work with lawmakers to eliminate CEP.”
That sentence, in plain words
Work with Congress to end this rule.
What this is about
One rule lets some schools feed every child free. It is used where many families are poor. The book says meals should go only to children in need.
The document says “should”Who acts: USDAHow: internal managementp. 303 in the PDF
What the document says
“any efforts to expand student eligibility for federal school meals to include all K–12 students should be soundly rejected”
The chapter says such expansion would allow what it calls an inefficient, wasteful program to grow, and asks that the school lunch and breakfast programs be restored to their original goal of feeding children who would otherwise have no food at school.
What the document actually says
“any efforts to expand student eligibility for federal school meals to include all K–12 students should be soundly rejected”
That sentence, in plain words
Some want free school meals for every child. The book says that should be turned down flat.
What this is about
Some people want free meals for all pupils. The book says no. It says meals should go only to children who need them.
The document says “should”Who acts: USDAHow: internal managementp. 303 in the PDF
What the document says
“the USDA should not provide meals to students during the summer unless students are taking summer-school classes.”
The chapter states that pupils can currently get meals from schools in summer even if they are not attending summer school, which it says has in effect turned school meals into a federal catering program.
What the document actually says
“the USDA should not provide meals to students during the summer unless students are taking summer-school classes.”
That sentence, in plain words
In summer, feed only the children who are in class.
What this is about
Some children get meals at school in summer. They do not have to be in class. The book says only those in class should get them.
The document says “should”Who acts: USDA, CongressHow: legislationp. 304 in the PDF
What the document says
“Farmers should not be paid in such a sweeping way not to farm their land.”
The chapter says that if there is a desire to keep extremely sensitive land out of production this should be done through targeted efforts clearly connected to a specific environmental harm, and that the department should work with Congress to eliminate what it calls this overbroad program.
What the document actually says
“Farmers should not be paid in such a sweeping way not to farm their land.”
That sentence, in plain words
Farmers get paid not to farm their land. That should not be done so widely.
What this is about
One program pays farmers to leave land empty. It is meant to protect nature. The book says it is far too broad.
The document says “should”Who acts: USDA, CongressHow: legislationp. 305 in the PDF
What the document says
“The new Administration should, to the extent authorized by law, limit the use of permanent easements”
A conservation easement restricts how land may be used. The chapter notes that easements signed with the department can be enforced in perpetuity, and asks that permanent ones be limited and that Congress prohibit the department from creating new ones.
What the document actually says
“The new Administration should, to the extent authorized by law, limit the use of permanent easements”
That sentence, in plain words
Use fewer deals that last for ever. Do it as far as the law allows.
What this is about
A farmer can sign a deal to protect land. Some of these last for ever. The book says that is too long.
The document says “should”Who acts: CongressHow: legislationp. 305 in the PDF
What the document says
“Promote legislation that would allow state-inspected meat to be sold in interstate commerce.”
The chapter notes that states with department-approved inspection programs must meet and enforce requirements at least equal to those under the federal meat and poultry inspection laws, and says the barriers to selling their meat across state lines should be removed.
What the document actually says
“Promote legislation that would allow state-inspected meat to be sold in interstate commerce.”
That sentence, in plain words
Let meat checked by a state be sold in other states too.
What this is about
Meat must be checked before sale. Some states run their own checks. That meat cannot cross state lines. The book says it should be allowed to.
The document says “should”Who acts: USDAHow: regulationp. 306 in the PDF
What the document says
“Reduce the number and scope of marketing orders and checkoff programs.”
Marketing orders regulate how a commodity is handled and sold, and checkoff programs collect mandatory assessments from producers to fund promotion. The chapter asks that new requests be rejected as far as the law allows and existing programs eliminated where possible, noting that petition processes make it difficult for affected parties to end them.
What the document actually says
“Reduce the number and scope of marketing orders and checkoff programs.”
That sentence, in plain words
Cut the number of these programs. Cut how far they reach.
What this is about
Some programs control how a crop is sold. Others charge farmers a fee to pay for adverts. The book says there should be fewer of both.
The document says “should”Who acts: USDAHow: internal managementp. 293 in the PDF
What the document says
“the USDA should remove all references”
The full passage asks that a new Administration announce its principles through an executive order and that the department remove all references to transforming the food system from its website and other material. The chapter says the department should not place ancillary issues such as climate change ahead of food productivity and affordability.
What the document actually says
“the USDA should remove all references”
That sentence, in plain words
The department should take all of these mentions out.
What this is about
The department talks about changing the food system. The book says that is not its job. It wants those words removed from its website.
Recommendations on the department's mission, farm subsidies and crop insurance, nutrition and school meal programs, conservation programs, meat inspection and marketing programs.
The chapter's statistics on farm output and food spending, its account of the current administration's plans, and a number of narrower regulatory items.
Several proposals here require legislation the chapter acknowledges may be difficult, particularly on farm subsidies, where it says the next Administration will primarily have to look to legislative solutions.
