Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today issued the following statement on the passage of the House of Representatives’ version of the Farm Bill in a narrow party line 216-208 vote.

“Any action by the House is better than no action at all. But the version it passed today falls far short of meeting the needs of Colorado farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

“It does not come close to the savings achieved in the Senate bill that garnered broad bipartisan support. It also doesn’t contain the crucial reforms and accountability measures that producers have called for to help these programs work better. Nor does it include the Senate’s improvements to conservation programs that Colorado farmers, ranchers, and sportsmen depend on. The bill also eliminates resources to support farmers who want to use their land for renewable energy projects.

“If we are going to make the necessary reforms to agriculture and nutrition programs, then we need a responsible bipartisan and comprehensive proposal, not a half measure.”

The Senate-passed bill, which includes a number of provisions authored by Senator Bennet, reforms farm policy to better support farmers and ranchers, consolidates and streamlines programs, and would reduce the deficit by $23 billion.