The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are working on passing a “skinny” farm bill alongside $15 billion in farm aid.
On the Senate side, Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman says he expects work on the farm bill to begin within weeks, rather than months.
Skinny Farm Bill Moves Toward House Floor
The House version of the bill is gaining momentum after successfully passing out of the House Agriculture Committee.
Chairman G.T. Thompson says the bill will not be ready for a full House vote in time for the White House Celebration of Ag. However, he expects it to advance soon. Thompson told AgriTalk he is currently consulting with Democrats and various caucuses ahead of the vote.
“When I check the box on those, I think in the near future here,” Thompson says. “It’ll be after Easter obviously. At this point we’re going to be ready, we’re going to be ready to go. We’re going to be ready to take this to the House floor.”
Areas of Contention
Thompson expects a lively debate on the House floor regarding SNAP benefits and the Ag Labeling Uniformity Act. The latter dictates labeling rules for pesticides.
“There are some folks that think that we ought to have 50 different sets of instructions and 50 different processes to go through. It just drives up the cost of food and I also think it creates chaos to where we can put our farmers in harm’s way. I trust the EPA. I trust those scientists,” he explains.
Proposition 12 will also be a point of contention. Thompson notes the Supreme Court directed Congress to resolve issues tied to California’s sow production rules.
“That doesn’t step on states rights to do whatever a state wants to do. Doesn’t interfere with animal safety in different states. It just doesn’t allow one state to dictate to all the other states,” he adds.
High Odds of Passage
Thompson remains optimistic about the bill’s passage following a strong bipartisan committee vote. He also notes that support from President Trump should help the bill advance through the House.
The Senate may face a more difficult path, as 60 votes are required for passage.
$15 Billion in Farm Aid
Congress is also developing a supplemental funding bill that may include much-needed farm aid. Thompson says the assistance is critical for the industry.
“You know what we did a year and a half ago, I would have thought we wouldn’t have needed that. But the lingering impacts of inflation, the availability of inputs, the cost of inputs, you know, the disruption that’s caused by trade negotiations have made it a must,” he adds.
Thompson is working with Senate leadership on a $15 billion aid package.
“They’re looking at $10 billion for row crops, $5 billion for specialty crops. I actually have gone on record and said we need $10 billion for specialty crops and I need another $200 million for sawmills,” he explains.
The legislation could also include provisions for year-round E15 sales.
