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NFU cautiously optimistic on fate of crop insurance *UPDATED*

National Farmers Union Govt. Relations VP Chandler Goule at the NFU Annual Convention, Wichita, Kan., Mar. 16, 2015.

The National Farmers Union says even though House Ag Committee leaders have been assured that crop insurance is safe from proposed budget cuts, the battle is far from over.

 The problem, says NFU’s Chandler Goule, is that the Senate was not consulted to see if it would go along with the plan.

“Though we have assurances, verbally predominantly from the House, that they’re willing to restore that funding in the omnibus bill.  We do not have that assurance in the Senate.  So we will be working with the Senate to see if we can get them on the same page, otherwise we’re still going to be faced with the same problem.  You’re going to have a bill that’s got $3 billion coming out of crop insurance.”

 Senate minority leader Harry Reid is quoted as saying he would oppose any effort to put the crop insurance restoration into the omnibus bill.

 Goule calls that a big problem.

“There are a couple avenues we can take: one, we can work with the Senate not to include the crop insurance language, then they’d have to send it back over to the House for another vote.  Or convince the Senate to leave the bill’s language as is and go back into the appropriation bill and fix it.”

 NFU is concerned that the crop insurance cuts would further consolidate and concentrate insurance providers, giving farmers fewer risk management options.

 

*UPDATE*

 

Senate leadership has agreed on a deal to restore three-billion dollars in cuts to the crop insurance program – following ag agreement by House leadership to do the same.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says he is pleased the House and Senate leadership have listened to House and Senate Ag Committee concerns and agreed to restore funds to crop insurance.  Although the cuts are still included in the budget bill, leaders have promised to reverse the provision in the upcoming omnibus spending bill.  Roberts says he has worked his entire career to build crop insurance as a public/private partnership that protects producers and tax payers. 

Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow says she opposes reopening Farm Bill programs and says it is critical that Congress passes a bipartisan budget agreement and says she will support the Bipartisan Budget Act.

The Senate is expected to vote on the budget yet this week.

 

 

 

 

 

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