GOP took the House by a slim margin last week, leading to a divided government as Democrats won majority in the Senate.
Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) is gearing up to replace Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) as the House Ag Committee chairman in Jan. With his new title in tow, Thompson will be working alongside current Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to finalize the passage of a farm bill in 2023.
As the New Year approaches, Thompson shared his highest priority farm bill objectives in a recent episode of AgriTalk with Host Chip Flory:
1. Internet Access
Signed into action in November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dedicated $759 million to deploy the ReConnect rural broadband program. The program aims to provide internet access to rural areas and “build brighter futures”, according to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Thompson, however, isn’t convinced this funding will fill the broadband void and plans to make it a legislative priority.
“Rural broadband is still the No. 1 needed utility that we have infrastructure needs for in this country,” Thompson says. “The only option to change that need is to do our jobs.”
Thompson is carrying that same “get it done” attitude into the insurance front.
2. Crop Insurance
Crop insurance can use some improvements in 2023, according to Thompson. He says this is an ongoing issue that can’t wait another five years.
“What are we supposed to do with reference prices and no margins in Title 1?” Thompson says. “We have to protect crop insurance by learning from our disaster experiences and improve it.”
While Thompson says time is of the essence in crop insurance, some feel time is the main factor underlining the whole farm bill due to the divided government.
3. Passage
Jim Wiesemeyer, Pro Farmer policy analyst, says there’s speculation the House will run out of time on the farm bill in 2023, because of the need for hearings and to gear up new members and staff on the “complexities” of farm policy.
When asked about timelines and expirations, Thompson reiterated the committee will need to work in a “very intense” way in order to prevent the legislation from expiring and “kicking the can down the road.” To avoid any delays, Thompson reiterated his urgency and drive for bipartisanship is his “commitment.”
According to Wiesemeyer, Thompson will likely meet this goal by pushing farm bill action and policy changes the moment offices change hands in January.
More on farm bill 2023:
Impact of the Elections on Farm Bill 2023
‘Red Wave’ of Voters Did Not Happen: Why Were Poll Predictions So Far Off the Mark?
As Hearings for the Farm Bill Ratchet Up, You can Do 3 Things to Help Agriculture
