Grassley Not Confident A Farm Bill Will Pass On Time

Tuesday, we told you that Representative Collin Peterson is confident a Farm Bill will be approved on time.  Meanwhile, on the Senate side.

A Senior Ag Senator says his optimism for a 2018 farm bill is fading, after months of delay in starting to write a bill in committee.  Chuck Grassley said he’s less hopeful now than a few months ago, that the Senate will pass a 2018 farm bill soon.

“I don’t feel as confident now as when I was telling you in September that I thought we were going to get a bill done and out of committee before Christmas, so we could start on it on the floor this spring.”

But, that was before the Senate got mired in a marathon tax bill fight

“And now, we’re probably three months behind, so in order for it to happen, we can’t happen any longer.”

And Grassley said a further problem, is a fight over biofuel use, Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s ‘hold’ on Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey’s nomination for a top USDA post.

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