Farm Bill's Flop Might Mean Trouble on Immigration

The House couldn't pass a farm bill? What should have been the legislative equivalent of a no-brainer instead got shot down this week because of a partisan fight over proposed food stamp cuts and rule changes. This could well mean trouble for the much thornier immigration overhaul when it comes time for a vote, writes Jennifer Steinhauer in the New York Times. Or as one congressman puts it, "If you think this is hard, try getting to 218 on a path to legal status."

At Politico, Jake Sherman agrees, declaring "that a bipartisan rewrite of the nation’s complex and politically charged immigration laws are a pipe dream in the House, at least for now." The legislation is moving right along in the Senate, meanwhile, with a key vote on border security set for Monday, reports the Hill. But that may not be worth much. Consider that the farm bill "passed in fairly ideal Senate circumstances—a better than 2-1 bipartisan majority," writes Dave Weigel at Slate. "What's another bill that's allegedly going to be built like that? The immigration bill, of course." (More Congress stories.)