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WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko heralded final passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in the House this evening after spending the past several weeks representing the powerful Energy & Commerce Committee in conference negotiations with the Senate. Tonko emphasized his work removing harsh cuts to food assistance programs and including important provisions for New York farmers and rural communities that lack meaningful access to broadband Internet.

“This farm bill strikes the right balance, giving certainty to our farmers while protecting our most vulnerable by rejecting harsh food assistance cuts in the original House Republican bill,” said Rep. Tonko. “I am particularly pleased with provisions we were able to secure that will benefit New York’s dairy farmers and producers of specialty crops, and others that expand broadband access particularly to those that don’t have access to a high-speed connection. The final bill is far from perfect, but it is a major bipartisan step forward in areas of urgent need. I look forward to building on the progress we achieved here in the next Congress.”

The final House vote was 369 - 47. The Senate voted 83-17 yesterday to adopt the reconciled Farm Bill. As a result, today’s passage in the House will send the final bill to the President’s desk for his signature or veto.

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