While the House Agriculture Committee spent 13 hours of rigorous debate and passed the Farm Bill out of committee yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the House Farm Bill overpromises farmers while creating a crack in the coalition that normally passes a farm bill.

Funds are not available to back the details offered in the farm bill, which sets up false expectations, according to Vilsack.

The House bill limits the USDA’s use of the Commodity Credit Corp. (CCC). This fund pays for the USDA’s commodity, conservation and disaster programs. Vilsack explained that restricting the USDA’s authority in the face of natural disasters is problematic. This could make it challenging to use the CCC quickly in emergencies.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that suspending the USDA’s authority would save $8 billion.

Read more of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s response to the House Farm Bill here.