House Republican leadership and Ag Committee Chair Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., have been testing support for the farm bill ahead of a floor vote, with early conversations suggesting the bill has broad appeal across the conference, even with fiscal conservatives.
Thompson met with Freedom Caucus members on Monday night, he told Agri-Pulse, noting that it was a “really positive discussion.” He said he emphasized to the group, which is known for its fiscal conservatism, that it had advanced the committee with bipartisan support and that it was budget-neutral.
While Thompson said some individual members may withhold their support, he said the majority of members would back the bill.
“I think all those members represent rural districts and represent a lot of farmers,” Thompson said.
Similarly, South Dakota GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson and David Rouzer, R-N.C., said they have also been speaking to colleagues across the conference and found them receptive.
“I'm hearing overwhelmingly positive things,” Johnson said. “I haven't run into anyone yet that has a red line that we can't deal with.”
During Tuesday’s afternoon votes, Thompson and Republican leadership continued their whipping effort, with the former holding informal conversations with Democrats in the chamber on the bill, according to one Democratic lawmaker, and the latter polling the conference on their attitudes towards the bill.
Politico first reported that Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., also sent a whip notice to colleagues earlier this week urging them to vote ‘yes’ on the bill when it comes to the floor, which could be as soon as next week.
“We just whipped it,” Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told Agri-Pulse following the vote. “I don't know what the whip result is,” he added, but said he believes the bill has ample backing.
“I suspect we’re going to have a farm bill,” said Harris, who serves as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.
Emmer was equally confident following Tuesday’s votes, telling Agri-Pulse, “We're gonna pass the farm bill.”
Even Libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has committed to vote 'yay' on the measure.
“Rep. Massie plans to vote for the Farm Bill which includes a pilot program for his signature legislation, the PRIME Act, which would empower small livestock farmers, revitalize the small processor industry, and give families more affordable choices for healthy food," according to a spokesperson for his office.
The farm bill has “enough goodness across the board for everybody,” said farm bill whip team member Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., who described Massie as "farther, farther right" than the Freedom Caucus.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the Freedom Caucus’ policy chair, told reporters he hadn’t looked at the farm bill text as of Tuesday afternoon. But he said there were some parts of the bill he is “not thrilled with.”
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“I always want to support our farmers, and we need to in various ways. But, you know, I don't love SNAP, as everybody knows,” Roy said, referring to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. “I'll have to look at the bill and see what it looks like.”
Rouzer, a member of the farm bill whip team, said he believes that the SNAP provisions will ultimately be a “selling point” for fiscal conservatives in the caucus.
“It's a budget-neutral bill, and it basically locks in the savings that we were able to achieve with the reconciliation package on SNAP,” said Rouzer.
Washington state GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse, who is also on the whip team, said that everyone on his whip list “immediately came back with a yes.”
“Nobody expressed to me any kind of reservation or hesitation. Strong support,” Newhouse told Agri-Pulse on the sidelines of the chamber. “I've heard there's some [reservations], but trying to work through that for next week.”
The bill is on course to get some Democratic support, which will give Republican leadership a cushion for defectors. The bill advanced from the ag committee last month with seven Democratic votes and Thompson believes it could garner support from at least 10 additional Democrats in a floor vote.
Some House Ag Committee Democrats, however, are pressing colleagues to oppose the bill. In a letter sent Tuesday and obtained by Agri-Pulse, Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., urged their colleagues to vote ‘no,’ arguing that the legislation would codify cuts to food assistance.
“The stakes are far too high for us to cede ground on the issue of affordability,” they wrote.” This is a defining issue for us, and this vote is a decisive moment that gives us a strategic opportunity to highlight how the GOP Farm Bill will raise costs while cutting benefits for families that are already struggling to pay for groceries.”
Committee Democratic staff director Brian Sowyrda sent his own letter to House Democratic chiefs of staff and legislative directors last week with an ask from ranking member Rep. Angie Craig, Minn., to oppose the legislation. Sowyrda wrote that the bill falls "woefully short of what is needed right now," according to a copy of the email obtained by Agri-Pulse.
In terms of timing, Thompson said the Rules Committee could hold a hearing on the bill on Monday or Tuesday of next week, after which it can be put to a floor vote. The deadline for submitting amendments is Wednesday at noon.
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