Vote killing farm bill had nothing to do with food

Republicans killed a GOP-backed farm bill last week, a political move described as “pretty dramatic,” even by today’s divisive standards. But the disgruntled Republicans who brought down the 2018 Farm Bill weren’t worried about milk prices or work requirements—they were trying to take a stand on immigration and may get their wish next month.

The new version of the Farm Bill—the old one expires Sept. 30—would reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), in part by adding work requirements for “able-bodied adults” without small children at home. It also addresses farming, and supporters say farmers need the certainty of the five-year plan for subsidies and agricultural programs amid a labor shortage. Democrats hated the work requirements, claiming Republicans were trying to balance their unbalanced budget on the backs of poor people, while deficit experts noted the bill does no favors for the federal budget.

Despite the opposition of Democrats, the bill could have passed with only Republican votes. Seeing that, and even though President Donald Trump tweeted support for it the night before, the conservative Freedom Caucus saw an opportunity to take a stand on immigration. Protesting the fact that they still haven’t seen an immigration bill on the House floor, 30 Republicans voted against the Farm Bill, and seven refrained from voting altogether, leaving the legislation 20 votes short of passing.

The move didn’t come out of the blue. Frustration over the lack of immigration legislation prompted a petition by moderate Republicans and most House Democrats to force a vote on one of four proposals in June, if the number of cosigners reaches 218. As of Thursday, 213 representatives had signed on.

Hoping to avoid the “spectacle” of a series of successive votes on one issue, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., had promised a date for an immigration vote in early June. It wasn’t enough for some members, who cared more about getting the vote than about the outcome. Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., told Roll Call, “I can tell you voting for the Goodlatte [immigration] bill, whether it passes or is defeated, would move some of our members.”

Earlier this year, before Ryan announced his retirement, Meadows hinted at “consequences” for the speaker if he failed on immigration.

John Feehery, who has worked for several different House leaders, suggested the Farm Bill vote offers Ryan the perfect excuse to finally bring immigration to the floor. Legal immigration reforms would help the farm labor shortage, among other things, he wrote: “Going into the 2020 election, nothing will help the president more than an immigration deal that cracks down on drug gangs, builds a wall, takes care of the Dreamers and provides enough workers to make the economy grow faster.”

House leaders seem to have gotten the message. On Monday, they promised another Farm Bill vote on June 22, following a vote on immigration earlier in the week. A statement from House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, after the vote promised a “strong, new farm bill,” but committee member Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo. said she doesn’t expect major changes.

Hartzler told me last week’s vote was disappointing to watch but ultimately amounted to a mere bump in the road. She does not believe the “optics” of the situation are an issue for Americans.

“This is probably just temporary, and I know that many of the individuals who voted ‘no’ for other reasons, do support the underlying bill, and will support it in the future,” she said. “So I believe we will have an opportunity to vote on it, and ultimately pass it.”

Don Blankenship Associated Press/Photo by Tyler Evert (file)

If at first you don’t succeed …

Fiery conservative Don Blankenship is considering a third-party run for the Senate after losing the Republican primary in West Virginia two weeks ago, but state law might block his candidacy. The ex–coal baron announced Monday he wanted to join Republican Patrick Morrisey and incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin on the November ballot as a candidate for the Constitution Party. He hopes to unseat Manchin, whose seat is considered vulnerable, but he could help the Democrat win the election by drawing conservative votes away from Morrisey.

Blankenship served a year in prison after a deadly explosion in 2010 at a coal mine he owned, and he has promoted himself as “Trumpier than Trump.” West Virginia secretary of state spokesman Steve Adams said the state’s “sore loser” or “sour grapes” law prohibits major party candidates who lose in a primary from changing their registration to a minor party to take advantage of later filing deadlines. Mike Queen, communications director for Secretary of State Mac Warner, said Blankenship would “most likely have to bring a legal action to force the secretary to approve his candidacy,” according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Before the West Virginia primary, President Donald Trump warned voters to steer clear of Blankenship. The president tweeted to West Virginians that Blankenship “can’t win the General Election in your State. … No way! Remember Alabama,” a reference to Roy Moore’s loss in that state’s U.S. Senate race amid a scandal over dating teenage girls decades ago. —Lynde Langdon

Don Blankenship Associated Press/Photo by Tyler Evert (file)

Trump rallies pro-lifers at annual gala

President Donald Trump spoke Tuesday at the Susan B. Anthony List annual gala, vowing to support pro-life candidates in the November midterm elections. He also urged supporters not to get complacent in the face of the Democrats’ attempt to take back the U.S. House. “Every day between now and November we must work together to elect more lawmakers who share our values, cherish our heritage, and proudly stand for life,” the president said. Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said her group plans to raise and spend $25 million on the midterms. In 2016, it spent $18 million. The money will target several key U.S. Senate races where Republicans hope to unseat incumbent Democrats. In Missouri, Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley is challenging Sen. Claire McCaskill, one of the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrats. And in North Dakota, Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer is challenging Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. During Tuesday’s gala, Dannenfelser touted Trump as “the most pro-life president in history.” The president also highlighted a proposed rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services last week, giving pro-lifers a long-sought win in the war against Planned Parenthood’s government funding. —Leigh Jones

Kushner gets top-secret security clearance

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior adviser, finally won top-secret security clearance, nearly 16 months after he began working at the White House. Kushner initially had a provisional clearance but had it revoked in February amid an administration policy overhaul instigated by newly appointed White House chief of staff John Kelly. Kushner, whose family company has a worldwide portfolio of business interests, went through a lengthy background check. He also sat down for a second interview with investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing potential ties between the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and Russia. Kushner’s personal lawyer blamed his client’s extensive wealth for delaying the process of reviewing financial holdings and foreign contacts. Attorney Abbe Lowell also insisted Kushner received his clearance properly: “There was nobody in the political process that had anything to do with it.” —L.J.