Rep. Walz: Farm subsidy programs 'difficult to defend'

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn, said the Congressional budget supercommittee will probably need to make changes in farm subsidy programs.

Walz said on TPT's Almanac program Friday direct payments are "difficult to defend," but farmers need to have some sort of safety net to guard against higher prices for consumers.

The First District DFL-er said he is concerned that closed door deliberations prevent his farm constituents from having a voice in the process.

"The problem I have with it though is it's not being done publicly," Walz said. "It's not being done by my farmers. We're putting in our input to people but it's being written in a very closed fashion and then to be added to a bill in the supercommittee."

Walz acknowledged that having fellow Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson working on an agriculture budget proposal does help.