Perdue Updates Farm Bill Progress

With wildfires in California grabbing most of the headlines right now, the fate of the Farm Bill, which has been stalled in Congress, has not been in the new very much. But Ag secretary Sonny Purdue, who has been visiting fire-ravaged areas in California said the Farm Bill is moving slowly.

“We're hopeful that the farm bill will be completed in the lame duck."

The bill has been stalled in conference between House and Senate and Purdue told reporters on the House side, "The House really seems to be together from a partisan perspective between Chairman Conoway and ranking member Peterson, I think they're pretty much aligned here. There seems to be some hesitancy on the Senate's side, but we're hopeful, I'm optimistic the farm bill will be concluded in this Congress."

If it isn't, options include an extension of the current bill for a while. But if there's no bill when this congress adjourns at the end of the year, what's been done up to now goes out the door, and lawmakers will have to start all over in January.

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