Everywhere I’ve been the last several weeks—from the
halls of Congress to places clear across the country—I’ve heard the same
mantra. The farm bill will be handled “after the election.” Farmers and
ranchers have been told to “wait until November” to find out where this crucial
piece of federal policy stands. Well, the election is now behind us, so let’s
put the farm bill front and center .
Most folks following the dance between the election
and the farm bill have felt that a status quo election—meaning no change in
leadership in either chamber of Congress or the administration—would result in
the best possible scenario for passage of a five-year farm bill in the lame
duck session. That is exactly what has happened. With the election season
complete, it is now high time for Congress to focus on the critical work at
hand and include the five-year farm bill along with other items of unfinished
business in the lame duck.
At every vote, the farm bill has had bipartisan
support. It passed the Senate Agriculture committee by a vote of 16-5. It
cleared a cloture vote with the support of 90 Senators. It passed the full
Senate by a two-to-one margin; it cleared the House Agriculture Committee by a three-to-one
margin. And a recent whip count, conducted just before the election recess,
indicated sufficient votes to pass the House floor. That bipartisan support did
not happen by accident. It was the result of careful thought and deliberation
that were poured into the House and Senate versions of the bill. While some
aspects differ between the two versions, there is no reason why our political
leaders cannot come together and move ahead in reaching a compromise.
Congress should pass a five-year farm bill for the
sake of farmers and ranchers who are still hurting from the most severe drought
in decades and need a measure of certainty. They should pass a five-year bill
to continue meaningful investment to protect farmland and safeguard sensitive
landscapes through conservation programs. They should pass a five-year bill to
help ensure a safe, stable and affordable food supply for all Americans. And perhaps
most importantly, they should pass a five-year bill to renew the faith of the
American people that Congress as an institution can function, can work together
and can lead.
We’ve been patient, and the election is over. It is
time to refocus, to roll up our sleeves and to get the job done.
#30
Jon Scholl became the President of American Farmland
Trust in July 2008, after serving as Counselor to the Administrator for
Agricultural Policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
since 2004. Prior to that, Scholl served the Illinois Farm Bureau for 25
years. He is a partner in a family farm
in McLean County, Illinois.