Senate farm bill likely to miss September deadline for reauthorization.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Acknowledges Delay in Farm Bill Reauthorization
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently admitted that the Senate will not meet the September deadline to complete the reauthorization of the $1 trillion farm bill. McConnell, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, made this announcement during an event with the Kentucky Farm Bureau. His remarks highlight the fact that the crucial legislation will not pass by the current law’s expiration date of September 30.
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Despite the setback, McConnell remains optimistic, stating, “We’ll figure it out. The Democrats are really not interested in rural America anymore, but somehow we’ll put that together. Oh, not before Sept. 30, but we’ll all put that together and look out as best we can for our rural and small-town America priorities.”
The farm bill is a comprehensive package that sets policies for agriculture, forest health, food aid programs, conservation, and other areas overseen by the Department of Agriculture. It must be reauthorized every five years and is currently set to expire at the end of September. However, Congress has the option to file an extension.
A spokesperson for Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) did not respond to a request for comment on McConnell’s remarks. However, Stabenow previously stated in June that the bill would not be ready by September. She expressed hope that a bill would pass by the end of December but noted that missing the deadline is not uncommon, as previous farm bill reauthorizations have required extensions.
Not passing the bill by the end of next month is not particularly surprising, especially considering the looming threat of a government shutdown and a broader dispute about defense spending levels when Congress returns in September. These issues are likely to dominate leadership’s attention.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) emphasized that the extension would not be due to a lack of effort on their part. He explained, “There’s a lot of competition for weeks on the floor in September with the appropriations bills and bills that expire just like the farm bill does.”
The federal government’s funding runs out on September 30, and both the House and Senate have limited in-session days to find a resolution and prevent a shutdown. Additionally, House and Senate appropriators have been working on government funding bills at different spending levels, further complicating matters.
The farm bill also faces partisan disputes over provisions that were agreed upon as part of President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) deal to avert a debt default in May. The deal added new work requirements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is funded through the farm bill. While Republicans consider this a victory, Democrats secured exceptions for veterans, the homeless, and young adults who were previously in foster care.
House Republicans and Senate Democrats on their respective Agriculture Committees have been engaged in a dispute over these provisions. However, Thompson has urged his GOP colleagues not to prioritize this issue.
Stabenow expressed uncertainty about the resolution of the dispute, stating, “With the House, it’s difficult to know. Some of these dollars that would have given us the flexibility that we thought we had to help us meet some needs were actually taken in the debt deal, and so our baseline is very tight.”
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