The committee continued to mark up draft legislation that would reauthorize federal farm programs. They voted to offer farmers an alternative safety net that would provide protection against falling incomes and save as much as $4 billion over the next five years. Farmers who choose the plan would get a government payment on a portion of their acreage if average crop revenues in their state fall below a historic norm because of low prices or bad weather. But to get the coverage, farmers would have to forgo several supports that have been pillars of previous farm programs.