The recent budget deal reached by House leadership doesn't sit well with many lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La. 5) is among those against the plan.
Abraham strongly opposes what he calls "an assault on rural America." Provisions within the bill would essentially gut the Federal Crop Insurance Program. The freshmen representative, who spends time farming near his home in Richland Parish, says "Congress cannot allow this back-room deal."
He notes it has been less than two years since a commitment was made with the passage of a bi-partisan 5-year farm bill that included an estimated $23 billion in savings. Abraham, a House Agricultural Committee member joined other members in writing a response to the budget deal saying "the current Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2015 breaks that promise."
Abraham says the committee is now focused on lobbying other members to vote down the the bill if provisions are not removed.