Posted on Sep 28, 2023
Congress will miss the farm bill deadline in the midst of a likely government shutdown
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The leaders of both Congressional agriculture committees say federal lawmakers will move back farm bill negotiations to December. The current law expires Sept. 30, but experts say there should be little peril despite the blown deadline.
In the midst of a likely government shutdown, Congress is missing another big deadline — the farm bill.
The massive legislation passed roughly every five years includes funding for food assistance, commodity support, crop insurance and conservation programs.
As Congress appears likely to plow past the Sept. 30 deadline, agricultural policy experts and lawmakers say there shouldn’t be too much harm to critical programs, at least before the end of the year.
“It’s not the end of the world,” said Brad Lubben, an extension policy specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “But you can see it from there.”
Even without an immediate extension of the farm bill after Sept. 30, several programs are permanently authorized and will remain funded, including crop insurance.
In the midst of a likely government shutdown, Congress is missing another big deadline — the farm bill.
The massive legislation passed roughly every five years includes funding for food assistance, commodity support, crop insurance and conservation programs.
As Congress appears likely to plow past the Sept. 30 deadline, agricultural policy experts and lawmakers say there shouldn’t be too much harm to critical programs, at least before the end of the year.
“It’s not the end of the world,” said Brad Lubben, an extension policy specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “But you can see it from there.”
Even without an immediate extension of the farm bill after Sept. 30, several programs are permanently authorized and will remain funded, including crop insurance.
Congress will miss the farm bill deadline in the midst of a likely government shutdown
Posted from kcur.org
Farming
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Congress
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Posted 8 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."A shutdown complicates the farm bill
Getting a farm bill done amid the looming government shutdown will be nearly impossible, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this week.
“We’ll do everything we can to make sure this thing gets passed as quickly as it can,” Vilsack said. “But it’s pretty tough to do if there’s a shutdown. You can’t do it.”
When lawmakers finally get to the debate over the farm bill, some more conservative members of the Republican Party may center their attention on SNAP. As part of negotiations over the debt ceiling in May, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden reached an agreement to raise work requirements for eligible recipients.
“They're re bringing up work requirements, as if this conversation hasn't already been had and agreed to in a bipartisan way,” Rep. Budzinski said.
Rep. Mary Miller, a Republican from Illinois and member of the House Agriculture Committee and Freedom Caucus, has previously advocated for raising the threshold for SNAP work and age requirements.
“We’re on the verge of not being able to call it ‘the farm bill’ (because) 85% of the farm bill money is going to SNAP payments and food production,” she told farmers earlier this fall. “The producers are being left out, and we need to fight back and speak up about that.”
Hart of Iowa State said a government shutdown could also force agricultural markets to fly blind without USDA reports on commodity prices like corn, soybeans and beef — and eventually push prices down.
That’s happened to agriculture markets before during shutdowns in 2013, 2018 and 2019.
Now, Hart said, all farmers, ranchers and the American public can do is wait to see how agriculture will weather a shutdown and what will become of the farm bill.
“Something will be done. I have no doubt about that,” Hart said. “The question is what.”
..."A shutdown complicates the farm bill
Getting a farm bill done amid the looming government shutdown will be nearly impossible, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this week.
“We’ll do everything we can to make sure this thing gets passed as quickly as it can,” Vilsack said. “But it’s pretty tough to do if there’s a shutdown. You can’t do it.”
When lawmakers finally get to the debate over the farm bill, some more conservative members of the Republican Party may center their attention on SNAP. As part of negotiations over the debt ceiling in May, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden reached an agreement to raise work requirements for eligible recipients.
“They're re bringing up work requirements, as if this conversation hasn't already been had and agreed to in a bipartisan way,” Rep. Budzinski said.
Rep. Mary Miller, a Republican from Illinois and member of the House Agriculture Committee and Freedom Caucus, has previously advocated for raising the threshold for SNAP work and age requirements.
“We’re on the verge of not being able to call it ‘the farm bill’ (because) 85% of the farm bill money is going to SNAP payments and food production,” she told farmers earlier this fall. “The producers are being left out, and we need to fight back and speak up about that.”
Hart of Iowa State said a government shutdown could also force agricultural markets to fly blind without USDA reports on commodity prices like corn, soybeans and beef — and eventually push prices down.
That’s happened to agriculture markets before during shutdowns in 2013, 2018 and 2019.
Now, Hart said, all farmers, ranchers and the American public can do is wait to see how agriculture will weather a shutdown and what will become of the farm bill.
“Something will be done. I have no doubt about that,” Hart said. “The question is what.”
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