This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) that would prohibit funds provided by an agricultural bill from being used for the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, which supports small-scale farms that provide food to their local communities. This amendment was offered to legislation providing annual funding for Agriculture Department programs.

Foxx urged support for her amendment: “I am very concerned about this program because it is not an authorized program by the Congress. I am very concerned that we have our executive branch off doing all kinds of things that it has no business doing, from fighting wars to running programs that they weren't authorized to run…. So I think that this is a program that we do not need, and I believe that it should be abolished, because when the USDA wants a program, it should be coming to the Congress to get authorization for that program.”

Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) opposed Foxx’s amendment: “I think this is a direct attack on the White House initiative, which is about nutrition…you have places in this country that are food deserts. You have places where there are no grocery stores. There are 7-Elevens. They don't have fresh fruits and vegetables. People can't go down to a local store and find fresh fruits and vegetables….What is this? Is this some kind of conspiracy that you are afraid of? People might learn a little bit about where food comes from in America, and there is organic food and that you have choices and you just don't have to eat everything that is packaged and processed and full of salts and sugars and additives and preservatives?”

The House agreed to this amendment by a vote of 212-201. Voting “yea” were 210 Republicans and 2 Democrats. 180 Democrats and 21 Republicans voted “nay.” As a result, the House agreed to an amendment that would prohibit funds provided by an agricultural bill from being used for the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, which supports small, local farms that provide food to their local communities. In order for this amendment to become law, however, it would have to pass the Senate. When the House passed this amendment, the Senate had not yet taken it up. Thus, the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative continued to operate.