WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive farm bill on Wednesday that cuts payments for food stamps by about 1 percent and ends a direct subsidy to farmers, while expanding government-backed crop insurance programs.

After months of negotiations and criticism from both sides of the political spectrum the measure passed easily, by 251 votes to 166, with 162 Republicans joining 89 Democrats in favor. The bill, which is supposed to be passed every five years, is more than a year overdue after congressional negotiators struggled to forge a compromise.

A vote in the Democratic-run Senate could come as early as this week and the bill is expected to pass, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow told reporters this week. White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama would sign the legislation.

The wide-ranging legislation affects about 16 million jobs in the country’s agricultural sector and can have an impact on the business landscape for major agricultural companies.

The agriculture committees say the bill will save about $23 billion over 10 years, compared with current funding – less than many conservative Republicans had hoped for. The Congressional Budget Office, using a different measurement, has estimated savings of $16.6 billion over a decade.

Liberal lawmakers decried the cut of about 1 percent to the safety net program, which goes to about 47 million low-income people to buy food and accounts for more than three-quarters of the farm bill’s spending.