Farm bill continues to languish

This is a short update — because there is still no farm bill. The 2018 Farm Bill, also known as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, has now expired, and lawmakers in Washington remain at an impasse, unable to come to a consensus on a new omnibus spending package. 

Nathan Bowen, vice president of policy and industry advancement at the Irrigation Association, emphasizes the importance of progress: “Lawmakers need to pass a farm bill to ensure growers receive the support they need to continue feeding our population. Without a comprehensive farm bill, key programs remain in limbo, putting unnecessary pressure on those who grow our food. This inaction is detrimental to the current state of the farm economy,” 

Senator Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska, a member of the agriculture and appropriations committees, recently voiced her perspective in an opinion piece for Agri-Pulse. She highlighted what’s at stake, writing, “Our first order of business is to pass a strong farm bill that meets producers’ most significant needs. We must strengthen crop insurance, invest in locally-led conservation programs, increase trade promotion funding, and support research. We don’t need to sacrifice nutrition assistance to keep ‘farm’ in the farm bill.” 

Despite calls for action, there is still no draft of the farm bill legislative text from Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. “Given the current gridlock, we expect it may be 2025 before we see a new farm bill, likely after the election,” says Bowen. “In the meantime, Congress will have to pass yet another short-term extension during the post-election lame duck session.”