Ag Policy Blog

Stabenow Waiting on House Leaders

Jerry Hagstrom
By  Jerry Hagstrom , DTN Political Correspondent

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said Tuesday she is waiting for the House leadership to respond to the receipt of the Senate farm bill, to call for a conference and to appoint conferees.

“We are waiting for them to take a step,” Stabenow told reporters after a confirmation hearing, adding that she hopes the conferees are appointed before the August congressional recess.

She joked that she hopes the House will just pass the Senate bill, but in more serious tones said “we need them to formally object” to the Senate bill and appoint conferees to work out the differences.

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Stabenow noted that she, Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., and ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn, have met and that their staffs are “in the process” of meeting. But she added that there is a limit to what the Agriculture committee leaders can do before a formal conference is called and conferees are named.

The Agriculture committee leaders are “talking through” the differences in the commodity title, she said, adding that the conservation and specialty crop titles are “close together.”

On the House provision that would repeal current permanent law from 1938 and 1949 and make Title I — the commodity title — of the new bill permanent, Stabenow said that replacing permanent law “doesn’t make sense for the future of the farm bill.”

At the beginning of the hearing, Stabenow also noted that the Senate had sent its “comprehensive” bill that included the nutrition title to the House, and thanked the senators who helped her get the Senate to agree to unanimous consent to the send the bill to the House, particularly Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and John Hoeven, R- N.D.

At the hearing today, Chambliss said of the farm bill, “It is imperative we get that done.”

The Senate will insist on a comprehensive bill including nutrition, Stabenow said, adding that proposals to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by more than $4 billion per year had failed in the Senate. On the possibility of a larger cut, she added, however, that, “We’ll see what the House does.”

“The farm bill without the nutrition title cannot make it through the Senate or be signed by the president,” Stabenow said.

The office of House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, did not return a call seeking comment.

Follow Jerry on Twitter @TheHagstromReport

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Bonnie Dukowitz
7/28/2013 | 10:48 AM CDT
Sequester was Mr. Obamas' solution. Problem is, what he proposed does not even put a dent in the built in increase in spending. With the automatic increases in all of government, the Pres. and Sen. could care less if a Food Bill is passed. The number of voters getting something in many areas for nothing will also increase.
Jay Mcginnis
7/28/2013 | 10:04 AM CDT
Of course youd say that Jon, they whole GOP is based on doing nothing, how else have they governed? Where is their jobs plan? Where are their answers to the debt,,, oh yes SEQUESTER! forgot,,, oh for the days of GW when the stock market was 5000, bankers allowed to run free and $800 billion dollar wars to find WMD's,,,,, what a dream!
John Olson
7/27/2013 | 11:16 PM CDT
The country would be a whole lot better off if Obama did nothing but golf. When he works, he is up to no good. See http://townhall.com/columnists/dianawest/2013/07/26/why-wont-the-media-cover-huma-abedins-ties-to-the-global-jihad-movement-n1649288/page/full
Bonnie Dukowitz
7/27/2013 | 3:30 PM CDT
So where did you say the President is Lee and John. Must be playing with the Tiger. One needs to have their priorities. In general, those who point the finger the most, are doing the least.
W Lee Deutsche
7/26/2013 | 4:11 PM CDT
My comment to Speaker Boehner,"Lead,Follow,or Get the Hell Out of the Way".
melvin meister
7/26/2013 | 9:53 AM CDT
Sorry Bonnie and John The Creeps and liars are in the House Leadership.
John Olson
7/26/2013 | 8:08 AM CDT
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/07/_poor_lil_huma.html and http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/354351/huma-unmentionables-andrew-c-mccarthy Obviously there are a whole lot of other things Obama is involved in, most of which we will never know.
John Olson
7/26/2013 | 7:25 AM CDT
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/op_ed/2013/07/nothing_phony_about_o_s_scandals
Bonnie Dukowitz
7/26/2013 | 6:26 AM CDT
And just where is the President with his leadership in this ordeal? On another vacation or golfing somewhere. Maybe making accusations in Chicago against anyone who refuses to bow down when he approaches.