Rural Lawmakers Hope Farm Bill Takes Center Stage This Year

Congress returns in two weeks and Ag lawmakers are expected to resume their push for a long overdue Farm Bill.  Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow told Politico on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, that she still hopes to pass one more Farm Bill before she retires from the Senate.  But Stabenow admits partisan politics has made the process more and more difficult.

“I’d love to do more. I would love to do more. But this idea that I’m going to have my legacy be doing something that’s never been done before, to be taking money away from families who are barely making it, if you have to get a farm bill, I can’t do that. I can’t do that.”

Senate Ag Republicans led by John Boozman, who could succeed Stabenow as Chair if the Senate flips, insist there must be “more farm in the Farm Bill.”  They’ve turned to SNAP and conservation dollars in a fight unlikely to end with another farm bill extension.

"I believe it’ll be as easy to do it this year as it is next year. So, who knows what the dynamics are going to look like then? But I do know how important this is, and I do know how important it is for rural America to give our farmers stability.” 

Congress must enact spending bills or more likely extend current funding to avert an October 1st government shutdown. Then it’s off to campaigning and the November elections, followed by a lame-duck Congress.

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