Latest News From Senate Ag Committee

House Republicans, particularly on the House Ag Committee, are debating changes to the Conservation Reserve Program as part of the upcoming farm bill reauthorization.

House Ag Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson, along with other members, is seeking additional funding sources for the bill, but that will likely be the biggest farm bill hurdle that may trip up lawmakers.

While Sen. McConnell says the budget has little give, Sen. Boozeman has consistently said he will not support a farm bill that doesn't provide an increase in the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program's reference prices.

Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) opened the door to shifting almost $20 billion from her party’s climate and tax credit law enacted last year to more general spending in the upcoming farm bill.

It's not as simple as you might think. House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson shares a rundown of the funding and extension processes. He says the ag committees need to find new dollars to expand the farm bill budget.

Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow, (D-Mich.) says there will be no new funding for the 2023 farm bill. However, Stabenow stressed she will not allow a cut in conservation funding.

The Senate and House Ag committees are facing delays in drafting the next farm bill, and it is expected to be the most expensive farm bill to date, clocking in at around $1.5 trillion.

Rep. Thompson signaled he wants to hear “commitment from everyone, including the president, that we will get this done and in the manner I've been speaking about. Bipartisan, bicameral, on time and highly effective.'"

Lenders In the hearing seemed to agree on a boost to lending limits in USDA guaranteed loans as lawmakers ready for the next farm bill.

"The prioritization of resource concerns must be left to the local level where producers decide how they can best address their unique and varied landscapes and needs," said Sen. John Boozman.

SNAP, which historically receives the greatest amount of farm bill funding, will see an 82% increase of a quarter-trillion-dollars.

The House will take the reins in writing farm bill 2023. House Ag Chairman Thompson says the pen is “firmly” in his hand, with few tweaks to be made from 2018. The Senate says their version is nearly complete.

A Senate Ag Committee hearing Thursday on the new farm bill raised a issue that is now evident: the Title 1 farm bill safety net can no longer deal with the current ag environment.

“For the next two years, I am intensely focused on… leading the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill, which determines our nation’s food and agriculture policies," says Sen. Stabenow.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Alexis Taylor for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. According to Taylor, her priorities include addressing export markets and food insecurity.

“We rely on the support of farm bill funding and programs to ensure continued U.S. leadership as the provider of the best seed to the world," said Katy Rainey, Purdue associate professor, at the Senate Ag hearing.

Most now look for President Biden to increase his use of executive orders and regulations to fulfill some other goals, including those in the coming farm bill.

Senate leadership’s timeline for the BBB proposal is just before Christmas, according to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin is calling for a strategic pause for the vote, delaying it into 2022.

Cyber criminals struck the agricultural industry once more. This time, a dairy processing company in Wisconsin. Senators Grassley and Ernst take the Floor while Resilience’s Davis Hake talks insurance.

“We can add to this certainty for producers and many other stakeholders with the approval of long delayed PRIA,” said Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan.