Will Progress In The Senate Encourage The House

As of last week, the fate of the House Farm Bill remained in limbo because of disagreements over the immigration debate.  This while Senate Ag leaders unveiled their farm bill proposal, which is set for committee action on Wednesday.  House GOP leaders are working to break an immigration impasse within their party’s ranks.  American Farm Bureau’s Andrew Walmsley remains hopeful a Farm Bill will pass out of the House.

“We’re trying to stay very positive that the House will get a Farm Bill, but we are pleased to see the bipartisan fashion of having Farm Bill text out of the Senate, knowing that we’re going to plan to market up on Wednesday. We’re very pleased that the process is moving forward.”

The Senate proposal protects and strengthens crop insurance, supports a foot and mouth disease vaccine bank, and has permanent funding for beginning farmer and rancher programs and more.

“We’re seeing some improvements to the ARC program, as was expected, not too many changes to PLC, the opportunity for our farmers to make new elections, between the programs.  Under Title One, as we’re looking into dairy, I think the committee is suggesting improvements to no longer the MPP program, but the dairy risk program.”

There are no new food stamp work requirements that would kill the bill in the Senate, where Democratic votes are a must to avoid a filibuster, but also, no new limits on those not ‘actively engaged’ in day-to-day farming operations.

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