This house would suspend agricultural subsidies

Last July, Congress enacted legislation defining US agricultural policy for the next five years.  While there were changes made to certain aspects of the policy, it was viewed by some as a continuation of long-standing policy regarding farm subsidies.  

Proponents of these subsidies claim that they protect farmers and US consumers from fluctuating food prices and discourage over-production.

While many of these assumptions have gone largely unchallenged for decades, a growing number of critics have emerged to argue that subsidies simply serve longtime incumbents and inhibit emerging, healthier and more environmentally sustainable, agricultural trends.