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Farm bill faces uncertain future as deadline nears

There is growing concern that Congress won’t be able to finish a farm bill this year.

House Ag Committee member Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat from Illinois, says agriculture is typically a bipartisan issue.  “But, the reconciliation process was bruising as it relates to Democrats and Republicans coming together, because Democrats, as myself, a Democrat, we were completely shut out of the process,” she says. “It was just a bill put on the floor that we had big objections to and was voted on.”

She tells Brownfield that rebuilding the working relationship and trust between committee members on both sides won’t be easy. “I would urge and have urged our House leadership to be at the table with Chairman Thompson to talk about a skinny farm bill and what we can realistically accomplish together,” she says. 

AUDIO: Nikki Budzinski, Illinois

Democratic member Eric Sorensen, also from Illinois, says Congress needs to prioritize getting the rest of the farm bill across the finish line. “Get those out the door so then we can focus on whatever is next,” he says.  “And I’ll tell you whatever’s next has to be the export markets.  We have to make sure that we’re focused on that so that the farmers in the next season can be back in the black.”

Congress returned to session from the August recess this week.

Brownfield spoke with Budzinski and Sorenson during the recent Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL.