US immigration and farm law spats are ahead

Significance

Democrats and moderate Republicans voted against the Agriculture and Nutrition Act 2018 because it contained measures they oppose to tighten welfare entitlements, specifically food stamps (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) while conservative Republicans in the Freedom Caucus objected to the modest immigration reforms in the bill.

Impacts

• Any final farm bill is likely to be more like Senate’s proposed more moderate version.
• An immigration reform bill is unlikely to be agreed ahead of the farm bill receiving a second vote.
• If a farm bill is passed, food production subsidies are likely to see only modest cuts.
• Republicans could lose votes if Congress does not pass welfare reforms.