News

House passes farm bill 213-211

Without further debate on Thursday, the House of Representatives passed its version of the farm bill by a vote of 213-211.

The House bill will now have to go to conference with a Senate farm bill once it is passed. The Senate is expected to take up their bill sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Here is sampling of reaction to House farm bill passage:

House Ag Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) says the bill keeps faith with the hardworking men and women of production agriculture, “It says we’re going to maintain this safety net. We’re going to make it as good as we can and we really want to get it done on time. It helps folks who may not have a job yet to get a job, to train for a job, to move out of the poverty trap they might be in with a hand up instead of a handout.”

AUDIO: Conaway’s comments as provided by his office following the House Farm Bill passage ~

“The partisan approach of the Majority has produced a bill that simply doesn’t do enough for the people it’s supposed to serve. It still leaves farmers and ranchers vulnerable, it worsens hunger and it fails rural communities,” said House Ag Committee ranking member Collin Peterson. “The only upside to its passage is that we’re one step closer to conference, where it’s my hope that cooler heads can and will prevail. The Senate’s version isn’t perfect, but it avoids the hardline partisan approach that House Republicans have taken here today, and if it passes, I look forward to working with conferees to produce a conference report both parties can support, which is the only way to get a farm bill enacted into law.”

The American Farm Bureau called passage of the House farm bill a big win for America’s farmers and ranchers. “By approving the 2018 Farm Bill today, members of the House recognized the serious economic challenges facing farmers and ranchers across the country. As crafted by Chairman Conaway, this bill recognizes what is working well, but it also makes much-needed improvements in risk management and crop insurance programs at a time when farm-income levels have slumped to decade lows.”

The National Corn Growers Association said, “Today’s vote is a big step forward to seeing a new farm bill this year. The House farm bill maintains a robust crop insurance program, ensuring it continues to be a viable risk management tool for farmers across the country. Now we will be looking toward the U.S. Senate and possible efforts to further strengthen the farm safety net, making it more equitable for our nation’s corn growers, as they bring the Senate Agriculture Committee’s farm bill to the floor.”

The National Farmers Union said it is disappointed by many components of the House Farm Bill. “Family farmers and consumers alike require strong safety nets, farm sustainability measures, and accessible markets. The need is especially pronounced as farmers struggle amidst a prolonged downturn in the farm economy and significant market volatility as a result of tensions with international trading partners. We stand ready to work with members of Congress throughout the conference process to improve this legislation to meet the needs of family farmers and our food system.”