Congress kicked the can down the road by failing to negotiate a new farm bill last year. The bill has been extended through the end of September, but experts say it won’t be easy for lawmakers to approve a new plan.
During his 30 years of farming, Mark Recker has seen a lot of farm bills make their way through Congress, as the legislation comes up for renewal every five years.
“And it seems like as the years go by, farm bills get harder and harder to pass,” Recker said.
Getting a farm bill approved this time could turn into an even taller order.
Congress chose to extend the 2018 Farm Bill last year instead of developing a new plan, and President Biden signed an extension that runs through September. Ag experts worry that it will be tough for lawmakers to reach an agreement on a package that’s expected to cost more than $1 trillion.
“In this presidential election year, national politics is going to get in the way,” said Brent Johnson, president of Iowa Farm Bureau. “And we really don’t need this farm bill to be extended into the new administration. That’s going to be a really long time.”
He estimates the farm bill will cost more than $1.3 trillion over five years. He said farmers in the Midwest need a finished package that helps mitigate risk, keep producers in business, and care for the environment.
Johnson, who also serves on the board of directors for the American Farm Bureau Federation, has lobbied agricultural committee members to fast-track the farm bill.
“I’ve been working a lot with Senators John Boozman, Debbie Stabenow, and Representative G.T. Thompson. We’re just trying to make sure our priorities are heard,” Johnson said. “It’s just a matter of getting through the politics of Washington.”
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