Farm Bill Discussions Continue, Though Same Issues Remain

Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher and Rebekah Alvey reported Sunday that “top staff from the House and Senate Ag committees continue their private talks this week on a possible new farm bill, while lawmakers prepare to approve a stopgap spending deal announced Sunday to keep the government funded until Dec. 20.”

“The continuing resolution includes an extension of authority for USDA’s mandatory livestock reporting system and the Food for Peace program as well as domestic food assistance. As expected, there’s no extension of the 2018 farm bill included,” Brasher and Alvey reported. “Fiscal 2024 ends Sept. 30, and authority for some farm bill programs begins expiring then as well as under the one-year extension passed last fall of the 2018 farm bill. Leaders of the House and Senate Ag committees aren’t seeking another extension before the end of the year to allow for the possibility that they could reach agreement on a new farm bill that could be passed in December.”

“To that end, staff directors for the majority and minority on both committees have been meeting weekly since lawmakers returned from their summer recess earlier this month and will get together again this week, according to a source familiar with their plans,” Brasher and Alvey reported. “…A senior Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, John Hoeven of North Dakota, acknowledged that it’s going to be difficult to cut deals on the bill until the outcome of the election are known but that negotiators need to make some progress now. He also acknowledged that funding for the bill’s commodity title remains the biggest challenge. Resolve that issue and ‘the rest of the stuff’s gonna come together,’ he said.”

What Are the Key Issues in Farm Bill Negotiations?

Pro Farmer Editors reported Sunday that “despite lawmaker chatter this week about various high-level meetings regarding a new farm bill, the same issues remain: (1) Major policy differences between Republicans and Democrats and (2) House GOP funding issues for its farm bill. There is agreement that a financial/ag disaster aid package is needed. Both issues are being punted until after Nov. 5 elections.”

“The only way veteran farm bill watchers will up the odds of a new farm bill is if/when Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) releases actual text of her farm bill. Only then can key policy differences between the two chambers be worked out,” Pro Farmer reported. “Also, it will be interesting to see how much additional funding Stabenow received for farm bill spending, and where it came from — if we will ever know that before she retires after this Congress.”

“Meanwhile, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said the main issue in farm bill negotiations is determining the size of reference price increases that trigger crop subsidy payments. Once settled, lawmakers could finalize the legislation, which has been stalled for months,” Pro Farmer reported. “Farm groups insist on higher reference prices due to rising production costs, while disagreements over SNAP funding and climate measures persist. Republicans propose a 15%-plus increase, while Stabenow suggests 5%.”

Supplemental Funding Still Being Worked On

Brasher and Alvey reported that “lawmakers also are looking separately at crafting a supplemental package of direct assistance to farmers who have been hit by the downturn in commodity markets over the past year.”

“‘It’s going to be very difficult for them to get financing if we don’t step in and help,’ the top Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, John Boozman of Arkansas, told Agri-Pulse,” Brasher and Alvey reported. “‘We’re trying to identify how much we need, how it would be distributed, and how would we pay for it,’ he added. ‘I do think that there’s a lot of support for it. I think that members are understanding how difficult it is amongst the farm community now. There’s a willingness to get it done. We just need to do the homework and not just do something, but do the right thing.'”

“The package also could include some disaster aid, said (House Agriculture Committee Chairman “GT”) Thompson,” according to Brasher and Alvey’s reporting. “‘I very much believe that both the farm bill and, quite frankly, some type of disaster relief are absolutely critical for this nation’s food security, because food security is national security.'”