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Finstad: Senate “twiddling their thumbs” on farm bill

A member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee is frustrated because the Senate has yet to pass a farm bill.

Minnesota Republican Brad Finstad says the House passed its version at the end of April.

“This is one of those things that common sense isn’t so common in Washington D.C. I mean you have something that passed the House 140 days ago in a bipartisan manner, and the Senate has been twiddling their thumbs for 140 days (before) finally moving it out of the ag committee.”

He tells Brownfield the Senate could vote on a farm bill before breaking for the November elections.

“I don’t know why they wouldn’t push something through here in the next couple weeks, and then it would be my hope that if there is any differences we come right back after the election and we hammer that out and get that done in November, early December.”

Finstad says despite the delays he is “very optimistic” a new five-year farm bill can be signed into law by the end of the year.