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Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) sent a letter this week to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction –i.e. Super Committee– highlighting a number of wasteful agriculture subsidies that are ripe for the picking.

As the congressmen point out, there is broad consensus that agricultural spending is due for some trimming. The House budget resolution, President Obama’s budget, and virtually every deficit reduction plan proposed over the last year each identified billions in potential taxpayer savings that can come from inefficient, outdated, or unnecessary agriculture spending.

And like us here at TCS, the congressmen zero in on ending direct payments, reforming crop insurance, and modifying other commodity payments.

The Super Committee must follow the lead of efforts like this if they are going to find  at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction.