Congressional budget analysts have determined that a Republican-backed farm bill proposal would slash nearly $1 billion from a widely-used conservation program over the coming four fiscal years.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which enjoys broad support among farmers, would see its budget authority reduced as Republican members of the House Agriculture Committee redirect those funds toward other legislative priorities, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis.
The proposed legislation essentially treats EQIP as a source of money to finance different aspects of the farm bill, rather than maintaining its current funding levels.
