Oregon Rep Says Farm Bill Unlikely This Year

Oregon Congresswoman Andrea Salinas said it’s unlikely a farm bill reauthorization will get up for a vote this year.  Salinas sits on the House Ag Committee, where they’ve been working on what’s been called a “Skinny” farm bill.

“I appreciate my chairman and his willingness to try to get something through because farmers are suffering, as you have probably heard, around the country," Salinas noted.  "But, there’s no appetite from the majority on that. And it’s kind of disgusting.”

The Oregon Democrat said without the reauthorization, farmers will go without things like USDA loan limits and expanded rural broadband.

"I don’t know how or why we would pass a Farm Bill out of the House Agriculture Committee if there’s no appetite from the House majority and there’s no appetite from the Senate majority- which means Republicans.”

The Committee’s Republican Chair, G.T. Thompson, had hoped to include changes to SNAP, including to phase out benefits gradually.

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