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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Friday, April 19, 2024
The top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee on Friday accused the panel’s majority Republicans of “abandoning bipartisanship” to push through a farm bill next month that will include restrictions on nutrition assistance and the Commodity Credit Corporation that are unacceptable to Democrats.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday there is a “concerted” effort in Congress to pass a farm bill this year, but also suggested that hardline conservative demands are making the effort more challenging for House Republicans.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., doubled down Monday on her warning that GOP attempts to fund the farm bill through a reduction in projected spending on nutrition assistance would fracture the bipartisan, urban-rural coalition needed to pass the farm bill.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson said Thursday that he now hopes to move a new farm bill by March. Meanwhile, his staff has started briefing farm organizations and other groups this week on possible sources of funding that face resistance from Democrats.
Congress is staring at a possible government shutdown next weekend as House GOP leaders try to win passage of a stopgap spending bill that’s combined with a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill.
Lawmakers look to finish work on some fiscal 2024 appropriations bills important to agriculture this week, as newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders face a looming deadline for keeping the government open amid deep partisan divides over spending.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow expects to have $4 billion to $5 billion in new funding available to address issues with commodity programs and expand crop insurance options, she said in an exclusive interview with Agri-Pulse.
The chaos among House Republicans isn’t the only hurdle facing a new farm bill. Senate Republican Whip John Thune, R-S.D., says the Senate Ag Committee remains divided over key issues, including what to do about the major commodity programs.
Work requirements remain in play in the debt ceiling negotiations between the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. It’s still not clear which program might be affected, but President Biden has once again signaled that he might go along with some changes.
