Senate passes major farm bill

The Senate voted 87-13 Tuesday in favor of a sweeping agriculture bill that will fund key farm safety-net programs for the next five years. The House is expected to pass the measure soon and send it to President Donald Trump for his signature. The legislation sets agricultural and food policy and provides $400 billion dollars in farm subsidies, conservation programs, and food aid for the poor. It also legalizes the cultivation of industrial hemp, an initiative championed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. One thing the bill doesn't have: tighter work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as food stamps. Trump championed the requirements, but they became a major sticking point during negotiations, and the bill ultimately passed with no changes to SNAP.