Ag Policy Blog

Stabenow Plans to Get Farm Bill Done This Year

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that she intends to get the farm bill done this year.

"When we look at the issues, I have been able to work across the aisle on issue after issue after issue to get things done which I'm going to continue to do," Stabenow said in an interview.

"The big issue that has bipartisan support to actually get done this next year is what we call the farm bill," she said.

"I chair the Agricultural Committee. This is the five-year farm bill. It's about a safety net for farmers and families. It's the largest investment we make in land and water conservation for the country. And so that's incredibly important.

"And frankly, we need workers. And one of the things we need to do is comprehensive immigration reform so that our farmers have access to a legal system for their workers."

Chuck Todd, moderator of Meet the Press, responded, "You have had the luxury of working in the one area where everybody actually wants to see a bill passed. And that is that farm bill. That is the one area there's usually bipartisan support."

Texas A&M Professors: Extension May be Better Than New Farm Bill

Only 5% of mandatory farm bill spending faces the threat of expiration if the farm bill is not reauthorized in 2023, Joe Outlaw, a professor at Texas A&M University and Bart Fischer, an assistant professor at Texas A&M who formerly worked for the House Agriculture Committee, wrote in an article in Southern Ag Today.

This means "that unless policymakers are able to significantly enhance Title I commodity programs, this is little reason to go through the process that invariably will include damaging amendments to farm policy," Outlaw and Fischer wrote.

"A simple extension of the 2018 farm bill would maintain the status quo," they concluded.

Outlaw and Fischer are co-directors of the Agricultural & Food Policy Center at Texas A&M.

- Southern Ag Today: What If We Don't Get a Farm Bill in 2023? https://southernagtoday.org/…

House Ag GOP Members Named

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., late Monday announced the names of the 26 Republicans selected by the House Republican Steering Committee to serve on the committee for the 118th Congress.

Among the members returning to the committee is Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., a former chairman who had served as chairman of the committee from 2011-2015 when the 2014 farm bill was drafted. Lucas will chair the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee in this Congress. Lucas had promised his constituents that he would return to the Agriculture committee when the farm bill came up again.

"I welcome this diverse group of legislators to the House Committee on Agriculture for the 118th Congress," Thompson said.

"It's imperative we hit the ground running through a rigorous hearing schedule, listening sessions, and aggressive oversight. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues as we put forward commonsense solutions that provide certainty for rural America."

Thompson noted, "The House Steering Committee is responsible for recommending members to serve on standing committees in the House of Representatives. The recommendations are subject to approval by the House Republican Conference."

Democrats have not released their list of committee members yet.

Returning members

Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, Pa. -- Chairman

Rep. Austin Scott, Ga.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais, Tenn.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, Calif.

Rep. David Rouzer, N.C.

Rep. Trent Kelly, Miss.

Rep. Don Bacon, Neb.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, S.D.

Rep. Jim Baird, Ind.

Rep. Tracey Mann, Kan.

Rep. Mary Miller, Ill.

Rep. Barry Moore, Ala.

Rep. Kat Cammack, Fla.

Rep. Brad Finstad, Minn.

New members

Rep. Frank Lucas, Okla.

Rep. John Rose, Tenn.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, Texas

Rep. Mark Alford, Mo.

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Ore.

Rep. Monica De La Cruz, Texas

Rep. John Duarte, Calif.

Rep. Nick Langworthy, N.Y.

Rep. Max Miller, Ohio

Rep. Marc Molinaro, N.Y.

Rep. Zach Nunn, Iowa

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Wis.

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@nationaljournal.com

Follow him on Twitter @hagstromreport

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