The free market, pro-environment R Street Institute today argues that House Republicans are squandering a chance to meaningfully cut farm subsidies in this year's farm bill.

The Senate delivered a bill that would cut taxpayer-funded agricultural aid, most of which goes to factory farms. The House responded by redirecting those savings into an insurance fund to protect those same producers if prices fall, as they likely will:

“For all of their tea party bluster, the House Republicans have proposed a wasteful, big government program that disrupts the private market, spends billions of taxpayer dollars that we don’t have and harms the environment,” R Street President Eli Lehrer said. “If Republicans are serious about cutting government, they need to start from scratch.”