Debate on the five-year farm bill has ended after a vote in the Senate that cleared the way for the Senate's version. The vote on that bill can be expected as soon as next week.

The $955 billion bill, which will support 16 million U.S. jobs, according to Argiculture Committee chairperson Debbie Stabenow Democratic Senator of Michigan, will cut $24 billion from the federal budget, which includes a $4 billion cut in Food Stamps. The vote to end the debate and move the bill forward won by a margin of 75-22 with ten Republicans crossing over to vote with Democrats.

The House version of the bill, totaling $940 billion will cut $39.7 billion over then next ten years with $20.5 billion in cuts to food stamps. The vote on that bill is expected sometime later this month.

The cuts to food stamps in the House-version are much higher than the version coming from the Democratically controlled Senate and it may be difficult to bridge the difference.

The Senate version also cuts crop insurance subsidies by 15% for farmers making more than three-quarters of a million a year. It also switches farm subsidies away from direct payments to farmers and instead shifts them to expanded crop insurance. Those changes are not in the House version.

President Obama favors the Senate version of the bill.