More than 500 national, state and local organizations are urging congressional leaders to find a way to pass a farm bill yet this year, despite the lack of legislative time left in this Congress.
“If Congress does not come together this year to enact a bipartisan farm bill, the legislative process will begin anew in the 119th Congress,” the groups say in a letter dated Monday to the leaders of the House and Senate, and the Ag committees in both chambers.
“Given the significant legislative, and possibly administrative, duties of a new Congress including the seating of new leadership and committees, Senate nominations, and other essential actions during the first months of the 119th Congress, we have concerns that it may not be logistically or politically feasible to advance a new farm bill early in the next Congress.”
The letter goes on, “As committed stakeholders and beneficiaries of the farm bill, we cannot continue to wait for updated policies, provisions, initiatives and critical funding that support our collective interests.”
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The letter’s signers include the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union along with a wide array of commodity groups and environmental organizations.
The House and Senate are scheduled to be in session just one more week before their long summer recess, and there are reports House GOP leaders may start the recess after this week.
Lawmakers return for three weeks in September and are then scheduled to break until after the Nov. 5 elections.
The House Agriculture Committee advanced a farm bill in May, but floor action has never been scheduled.
The Senate Agriculture Committee has yet to even release a draft, although Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., released a detailed summary in May. The committee’s top Republican, John Boozman of Arkansas, released an outline of his proposal in June.
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