en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 25th, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman stated at an agricultural policy conference on Monday that he plans to initiate work on a five-year farm bill within the coming weeks to advance agricultural policy updates. Boozman emphasized, "We want to get it done as quickly as possible," and noted that the bill must secure 60 votes in the Senate to pass.
Boozman told agricultural groups not to mistake delay for inaction, as lawmakers and congressional leadership are discussing how to advance the bill. Members of Congress from both chambers have been working for the past three years to make a new agricultural policy bill a reality, but progress has been hindered by partisan issues and a crowded legislative agenda.
Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar highlighted the urgency of taking action amid thin profit margins, low commodity prices, high input costs, and trade uncertainties. She called for year-round sales of E15 ethanol fuel, expansion of conservation programs, disaster assistance for specialty crops, and a delay in new SNAP cost-sharing penalties that would hit Midwestern states the hardest.
Boozman stated that boosting domestic demand is the "number one issue," mentioning E15, the Buy American Cotton Act, and other value-added measures. Klobuchar similarly supported E15 and improvements to the Renewable Fuel Standard, adding that she and Boozman recently held a hearing on local market opportunities. Boozman also expressed willingness to include a provision authorizing year-round E15 in the upcoming farm bill if the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee agrees.
The latest action on the farm bill occurred in early March, when members of the House Agriculture Committee voted 34-17 to advance a new farm bill. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson stated his intention to bring the bill to a vote in the full House before April 5. Despite passing the committee, the bill remains controversial and is likely to face difficulties in the full House.
If the bill is brought to a vote in the full House and passes, it would still need to pass the Senate and then be signed into law by the President. So far, the Senate Agriculture Committee has not released a draft farm bill, leaving the timeline and next steps uncertain.
