(NAFB.com) – Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow says the only path to passing a bipartisan farm bill is holding together the farm and food coalition that’s formed the foundation of past farm bills. “However, recent attempts to fracture that coalition through misleading statistics and an inaccurate portrayal of how the farm bill works have stalled progress on negotiations and risks forcing another 2018 extension,” Stabenow says. She also points out that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is designed to respond to fluctuations in the economy. Recent figures show that nutrition spending decreased by 13 percent since fiscal year 2022. “Year-to-year changes in SNAP spending do not take away from funding for other farm bill programs,” she says. “Similarly, year-to-year changes in spending for crop insurance and commodity programs during disasters or economic downturns don’t take away funding from SNAP.” Stabenow also says it’s time to get real and pass a farm bill.