Lawmakers Push for Post-Election Farm Bill

By Ryan Hanrahan

FERN’s Ag Insider reported this past week that “six of every 10 House Republicans signed a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson asking for a floor vote on the new farm bill during the lame-duck session of Congress, arguing that the legislation is a ‘must-pass item.’ The letter was released on Thursday, a day after House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries listed the farm bill as one of his three top priorities for action after the Nov. 5 general election.”

“Action on the farm bill has been deadlocked for months by disagreements over SNAP funding, higher crop subsidy spending, and climate mitigation. The Republican-controlled House Agriculture Committee approved a farm bill in late May, but it is over budget. The Senate has not advanced beyond informal outlines of a bill,” FERN’s reported. “In all, 140 of the 220 Republicans in the House signed the letter, including House Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson. After pointing to high production costs and a decline in commodity prices, the representatives said, ‘We respectfully urge that the enactment of H.R. 8467, or similar legislation that makes meaningful investments in farmers, ranchers, and rural communities, is among the top priorities of the Republican Conference and that this be considered a ‘must-pass’ item in the lame-duck session of the 118th Congress.'”

The Hill’s Saul Elbein reported that, in addition to the letter, House Ag Committee Chair Thompson met “with congressional leaders on agricultural policy Thursday to try to secure a last-minute deal on passing the farm bill.”

“In addition to Thompson, the group meeting Thursday included House Agriculture Committee ranking member David Scott (D-Ga.), Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member John Boozman (R-Ark.),” Elbein reported. “Thompson told The Hill this week that getting a deal in the lame-duck session isn’t ‘highly likely, but I’m an eternal optimist, and I’m going to work hard every day to make that happen.'”

“The farm bill is set to expire Monday, Sept. 30, though funds will not begin to peter out until the end of the year,” Elbein reported. “Progress toward a deal has been hamstrung by divisions between the parties over how to pay for increased subsidies to large commercial growers and proposed restrictions on the ability of the federal government to raise money for food aid.”

Lawmakers Say Another Extension Not Helpful

Elbein reported this past Thursday that “while some lawmakers — including Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark.) — have called for another one-year stopgap, on Thursday GOP House members warned that this would fail to staunch the bleeding.”

“‘Farmers and ranchers do not have the luxury of waiting until the next Congress for the enactment of an effective farm bill,’ the members, who included House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), wrote in their letter,” Elbein reported.

In addition to lawmakers, Elbein reported that “earlier this month, representatives from more than 300 agricultural groups flew in to Washington to lobby for a quick passage of a new bill, and in Thursday’s letter, House Republicans warned that the failure to pass a full five-year package would lead to a ‘crisis’ in farm country.”

Democrat House Leader Says Farm Bill No. 3 Post-Election Priority

FERN’s Ag Insider reported in a different article Thursday that “House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries put the farm bill third on his short list of must-pass bills for the post-election session of Congress on Wednesday, behind averting a government shutdown and assuring military preparedness. The lame-duck session is the last chance to enact a new farm bill before lawmakers would have to start over in January, when a new Congress takes office.”

“‘It will be important to see if we can find a path forward and reauthorize the farm bill in order to make sure we can meet the needs of farmers, meet the needs of everyday Americans, and also continue the progress we’ve been able to make in terms of combating the climate crisis,’ replied Jeffries when reporters asked about his agenda for the fall,” FERN’s reported. “He added the proviso that the ‘terms of what we consider during the lame-duck session will be decided once the American people have had the opportunity to weigh in about the future of the Congress on Nov. 5.'”