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Kansas lawmaker optimistic about new farm bill

A U.S. Senator from Kansas says he’s optimistic a new farm bill will be completed by the August recess.

Jerry Moran says lawmakers already have a starting point for the farm bill. “Whether it’s the House bill that came out of the House Agriculture Committee or it’s the draft that Senator Bozeman, when he was the Ranking Member made.”             

He says nutrition program funding could be a challenge and addressing portions of a new farm bill in the reconciliation process is possible. “If the alternative was doing nothing, then doing something in agriculture, particularly the commodity title in reconciliation would have some merit.”

However, Moran says, “It’s important for us to do the whole thing, and if we do only part, we see this in the appropriations process, it may be that we never get back to the other parts.”

Moran spoke to Brownfield during the KC Agribusiness Council meeting in Olathe, Kansas.