Senate Looks To Address Farm Bill Following Holiday Break
Congress is back in session after an extended July 4th Recess with Senate ag leaders resuming efforts to pass a new Farm Bill. Ag Chair John Boozman said he will now assess where his farm bill draft stands with Ag members, especially Democrats, opposed to how some SNAP reforms are imposed. Boozman is awaiting suggestions on several fronts.
“If we need to include things or if there’s some that feel we need to take something out," the Arkansas Republican said. "Again, just to respond to whatever the comments are that we get.”
Will There Be Enough Time?
Democrats oppose high SNAP payment error states getting a two-year delay in cost-sharing with USDA unless lower error states get the same break. Boozman said he is open to a solution but insists states need an incentive to bring down SNAP overpayments.
The next hurdle is getting floor time from the Majority Leader before the October break for elections.
“Senator Thune is one of our most active members on the committee," Boozman said. "He’s totally, totally into giving us floor time when we need it, to get the farm bill passed. And he understands, coming from South Dakota, how important this is.”
Congress Needs To Address Many Things
But Thune has other problems, including a fight with the president over passing new election restrictions, and with Democrats, moving spending bills and anti-terrorist spy tools. And all of this before the passing this weekend of South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham.
One of those spending bills, an Iran war supplemental, contains year-round E15 legislation and $10 billion in new farm aid. But that bill, if it gets to the floor, could also be time-consuming, given Democrats’ opposition to U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict.
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