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April is Autism Awareness Month

Senate Debates 5-Year Farm Bill

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Amid this and other controversies, lawmakers are still trying to set federal policies. The Senate is debating a farm bill.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

It includes farm and food subsidies totaling almost $100 billion. Lawmakers have trimmed more than $2 billion in annual farm spending.

INSKEEP: The question, though, is whether to trim more, and that leads to one of those moments that complicates easy partisan narratives.

GREENE: Because in this case, it is President Obama urging less spending. He wants to cut a farm insurance program, saying it subsidizes big businesses. Many senators from farm states want to maintain or even expand it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.