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Boozman: a farm bill is the priority

A U.S. Senator from Arkansas expected to be chairman of the 2025 Senate Ag Committee says getting a new farm bill is the priority moving forward.

“This is at the top of the list,” he says. “This is all we’re going to be thinking about until we get it done.”

John Boozman tells Brownfield time is an enemy in the lame duck session of Congress.

“We’ve got to get an omnibus or a continuing resolution passed to fund the government and also pass a defense authorization bill, but we need to simply stay until it gets done.”

He says there have been discussions happening among staff and the four current leaders of the agriculture committees on the bill and they’re still trying to figure out how to divide the spending of the $1.5 trillion bill.

“The farm part of the farm bill only represents probably about 17% of the total funds. Most of the money goes into nutrition. There’s money there and I think we can do it in such a way that we can take care of everybody and not impact the nutrition programs.”

An extension of the current farm bill has expired and if lawmakers can’t get a new farm bill across the finish line in the lame duck session, another extension will be needed.