When Will Senate Move Farm Bill To Conference

There’s little doubt the Senate will conference a farm bill with the House in September.

The only questions are, 1.) what the final bill will look like? And 2.) will it be finished before current law expires.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell kicked off the week on a positive note, listing key legislative goals, including

“An extension of flood insurance and sending the bipartisan Farm Bill to a conference.”

The Senate delayed action last week over lingering farm bill amendment efforts, and, which and how many Senators would be negotiators.

“I assume if they only have nine people on the conference,” said Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, “I wont be a member of the conference.  Because I’m 6^th in seniority, so its five republicans and four democrats.  But I’m going to go to conference whether I’m on the conference or not, because we got to get a farm bill.”

But, Grassley left no doubt the Senate would move to conference the farm bill.  But, with the House gone for August, there was no one to conference with ‘til September, and just over 3-weeks then, to run a legislative gauntlet to the end-of-the-month finish line, when current farm law expires.

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