Senate and House Leaders Call for Farm Bill Extension

Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Ag Committee, continues to express optimism about the possibility of passing a new farm bill in December in the House of Representatives. But he acknowledges that an extension of the current farm bill would still be needed while the Senate and others complete their work on the farm bill, says Pro Farmer analyst Jim Wiesemeyer. 

Thompson explained that even if they had passed a farm bill last September, a long-term extension would have been required because both the House and Senate versions need to be reconciled through a conference process. USDA will also need time to align its provisions with the emerging farm bill. 

“Not many think the House will complete a new farm bill this calendar year,” Wiesemeyer says. “Thompson also identified key issues in the farm bill including finding funding to make changes to the farmer safety net, potentially addressing base acres and other changes that have been well known through the process so far — issues still without a consensus.”

In the Senate, Democratic Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member Republican John Boozman are calling for an extension. 

“Getting the farm bill done won’t be easy. It never is. But I am committed to doing so. Unfortunately, it looks like this will take longer than I would like,” Stabenow said. “Given the chaos in the House, I know we will need an extension. But let’s be clear, it would be equally irresponsible to take our focus off of a multi-year farm bill that provides stability and certainty for our farmers.”

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott called to extend the 2018 farm bill last Friday to offer certainty and support to farmers, ranchers, and foresters as extremism within the House Republican Conference hobbles legislative efforts.

“While we continue the bipartisan effort on the House Agriculture Committee to craft a new farm bill, the extremism and cynicism that has taken hold of the broader House Republican Conference makes a five-year farm bill reauthorization by the year's end increasingly unlikely. Therefore, I am calling on my colleagues to support a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill,’ Scott said. “A one-year extension is the responsible thing to do. It allows our farmers, ranchers, and foresters to operate with an element of certainty while we continue working on a bipartisan five-year farm bill.”

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