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Farm bill delays becoming more problematic

An ag economist says the longer Congress waits to either pass a 2023 Farm Bill or extend the 2018 Farm Bill the more challenges it creates. University of Missouri’s Scott Brown says, “Really we’re under permanent law right now.”

He details what that means for some of the programs used by farmers.  “We’re already seeing USDA tell us there’s a few things that they’re no longer able to do because they don’t have authorization to do those with the expiration of the farm bill,” he says.  “That list just will grow as we go through time.”

He tells Brownfield the recent disruptions in Washington, D.C. brings any movement on a farm bill to a halt. “To me, it’s how quickly do we get a speaker in place and then the problems that have existed on the House side, do those go away or not,” he says.  “You know, it’s not clear to me just because we have a new speaker that we aren’t going to have the same sorts of problems unfold as we think about coming up against the deadline of the current Continuing Resolution we’re under.”

Brown says whether a new farm bill gets floor time, or the 2018 Farm Bill gets an extension, it isn’t going to be an easy task.  “What can I get done off the floor of the House that I can get 218 votes for and then something the Senate would agree to,” he says.