Farm Bill will pass now BUT partisan gridlock and delays can put it in jeopardy
Steve White 6-23 {Bureau Chief of the Grand Island Newsroom at Nebraska TV who has covered several political campaigns and has extensive experience covering the State Capitol, working with three governors and countless state senators.} - ("Congressional Delegation Comes Together To Discuss Farm Bill Priorities But Outlook Unclear," KHGI, published 6-19-2023, accessed 6-23-2023, https://nebraska.tv/news/ntvs-grow/congressional-delegation-comes-together-to-discuss-farm-bill-priorities-but-outlook-unclear)//marlborough-wr/
LINCOLN, Neb. — Between the debt ceiling and defense spending, time may be running out to pass the farm bill this year.
All five members of Nebraska’s Congressional delegation got an education in autonomous agriculture during a visit to the tractor testing lab at the University of Nebraska. Farming has changed, and that could impact the hundreds of billions the federal government spends through the farm bill.
“We need to get this right heading into another five-year period, we do not want to tie the hands of producers unintentionally,” said Rep. Adrian Smith.
There was hope Congress would act soon, but when Republicans fought an increase in the debt limit, they pushed for cuts to SNAP, also known as food stamps.
“The biggest hurdle we've already dealt with is SNAP,” said Rep. Don Bacon.
But Senator Deb Fischer says lines have been “drawn in the sand,” plus Congress has defense and aviation spending to approve.
“I'm being more cautious and looking at everything we have to get done knowing there could be extensions, and things are moving slower than all of us planned,” she said.
Extending current programs is one option, although that raises concerns that the cost of production has risen, and programs may not keep pace. As they toured UNL, they expressed support for research. There's also broad support to prioritize crop insurance and safety net programs.
Bacon said, “We've had two years of drought. Many farmers could not have survived without crop insurance,” he said.
But farming is only a small piece of the farm bill. The debate could come down to food stamps and how the bill brings urban and rural together.
“Find that balance between 17 percent of farm bill that's farming and 80 percent that deals with nutrition programs. We're going to get there,” said Fischer.
“It'll be messy, but we'll get a bipartisan farm bill done,” Bacon said.