Minnesota Seventh District Congressman Collin Peterson is taking heat from within his party over the House farm bill. Peterson is the ranking Democrat on the House agriculture committee, which approved a bill that makes deep cuts to the federal food stamp program. Peterson says the cuts can be removed in conference committee, but the criticism has raised doubts about whether the bill will pass the House.

A five-week Congressional recess is approaching and the chances of a House vote on the farm bill before then are diminishing. Minnesota's Collin Peterson, the lead Democrat on the Ag Committee, complains that House leaders have wasted the last two weeks on bills that are going nowhere. USA Today reports members are wary of taking a controversial vote so close to the election.

Both of Minnesota's Senators backed the new farm bill and praised it for cutting costs while still providing farmers a safety net. The Senate approval puts more pressure on the House to pass something before the current farm bill expires at the end of September.