News

Noem receives assurance from Boehner on farm bill conferees

U.S. Representative Kristi Noem of South Dakota says she has received an assurance from Speaker of the House John Boehner that he will appoint House conferees within the next week to the House-Senate Farm Bill conference committee. 

Noem says she made another push for farm bill action Tuesday morning during the weekly meeting of House Republicans.  She says she discussed the devastation resulting from the recent blizzard in western South Dakota and explained how the lack of a comprehensive farm bill—including a livestock disaster program—leaves livestock producers without the certainty they need. 

“Our lack of a comprehensive farm bill leave these ranchers without the protection of a livestock disaster program that would come in, in these situations, and blunt just a small part of the loss,” Noem said in a speech on the House floor.  

Programs contained in the pending farm bill would retroactively cover livestock losses due to disasters such as the recent storm in western South Dakota.

Brownfield’s Tom Steever contributed to this story.