Congress Approves CR

The third time was the charm, as the House and then the Senate passed stopgap funding legislation just prior to Friday’s deadline to avert a government shutdown.  Plan “C” approved late last week included farm and disaster aid.  Farm groups, led by the American Farm Bureau, prevailed in a last-ditch high-pressure campaign to include economic help for struggling producers.

“The bill also provides ten billion dollars in economic assistance for our farmers and ranchers," House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole said last week.  "In the wake of many natural disasters and a difficult farm economy, our farmers and ranchers are in dire need of economic assistance.”

Cole echoed the call of farm leaders that the aid was necessary to save family farms in danger of failing amid yet another extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.

“This aid will mark a vital step forward and preserve family farms and ranches across the country, while also continuing to ensure food and agricultural security for our nation," he continued.

The package also included $21 billion in farm disaster aid.  Separately, USDA okayed some $300 million for distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers.  And on a trade note, a dispute panel ruled that Mexico violated the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement when its former president ordered a ban on genetically modified corn imports.

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