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Getting serious about a new farm bill

The president of the National Farmers Union says lawmakers are getting more serious about getting a new farm bill completed this year.

Rob Larew tells Brownfield high engagement with leaders and creativity is needed to get something done.

“Not only getting that combination of solutions to get the compromise bill, but what will that bill be attached to?”

Larew says there’s not a lot of time in the lame duck session of Congress, but “you can almost see the solution. You can see the compromise solution on sticking points right now and ways to get to yes. Some of us are beginning to see that yes and with Congressional will, amazing things can happen quickly.”

The National Farmers Union members met for a fall fly-in this week in Washington D.C.

On Wednesday, House Ag Committee Ranking Member David Scott sent a memo to Democratic committee members saying all four leaders of the ag committee agree they’re better off without another farm bill extension. That puts more pressure on Congress. Scott says he’s hopeful a farm bill will be included in the National Defense Authorization Act or appropriations omnibus in the lame-duck session of Congress.

The memo also says farmers in Washington D.C. have been urging lawmakers to consider moving a two-year, ad-hoc package to bolster the safety net for 2024 and 2025 for farmers if the farm bill can’t pass this year. Read the memo.