10 days remain to pass farm bill before session ends

Washington, D.C. Congressional staff members are meeting as of today to finalize the text of the farm bill before the current session of Congress ends in approximately 10 days.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman stated that discussions are progressing in both chambers. He noted that staff from the House and Senate committees, including ranking members and chairs, are currently working to resolve their remaining differences.

Boozman said the group has had good success in those meetings but still has a few items they cannot agree on. Those unresolved items will be pushed up to leadership for a final decision. He described the timeframe as a narrow window, warning that if lawmakers are not careful, they will lose the farm bill for this year.

The chair expressed confidence in finding common ground with Democrats, specifically naming Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar. He said he knows she wants to get the bill done and believes the average member of Congress shares that desire.

Boozman cited the financial struggles of farmers as the primary driver for both parties. He said that if any person has talked to a farmer lately, they understand that the math does not pencil out and the industry is really struggling.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has also expressed interest in passing the legislation. The House Freedom Caucus has urged Republicans to support the bill only if it is fiscally responsible and helps lower prices for Americans.