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Boozman prepares for another Senate Ag Committee farm bill vote

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee says he’s preparing for another vote on a farm bill as lawmakers return to Washington D.C.

Senator John Boozman tells Brownfield while the conversations about nutrition provisions continued with Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, a senator from Minnesota, over the August recess “I don’t know if anything has really changed. We’ll just have to wait and see. I think they’re talking, but so far I don’t know. I don’t know that there’s been a lot of movement.”

Boozman tells Brownfield he’s still willing to give states one additional year to improve their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payment error rates, but that’s as far as he can negotiate.

The farm bill failed to advance from committee in August with two Republican members absent. Boozman says the committee is working to ensure full attendance before taking another vote.

“We’re working with Senator McConnell and we would love to have him back. Certainly, if it’s humanly possible he’ll be there, so we’re working with his schedule and making sure all of our members’ schedules are okay so we’ll have full attendance.”

If McConnell cannot attend a vote in person, Boozman said he is still committed to finding a path forward on the farm bill.

Another farm bill vote is expected next week.