Differences in Farm Bill Overviews Released by House, Senate Ag Leaders
As U.S. House and Senate Ag Committee leaders have released separate overviews for a new Farm Bill, there are some differences between what the two committee leaders are seeking.
Many of those differences are because both committee leaders come from opposite sides of the political aisle. House Ag Chair Glenn “G.T.” Thompson is a Republican, while Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow is a Democrat.
“Chairman Thompson released a five-page outline of his 2024 Farm Bill, and he also announced a House Agriculture Committee markup date of May 23. Moving to the Senate, Chairwoman Stabenow released a section by section of her farm bill, very substantial, clocking in at 94 pages. She has not indicated a date for a markup, but we’re looking over both overviews that were sent out and trying to read through them and what it means for the Farm Bill,” says Joe Gilson, director of government affairs for American Farm Bureau.
Gilson points out some of the differences in what the two ag committee leaders are pushing for in the new Farm Bill.
“Both overviews make large investments in Title One,” he says. “We also see from Chairman Thompson’s bill will include provisions to prevent states from regulating animal welfare outside of their borders. In Chairman Stabenow’s bill, it does make conservation programs permanent. One thing she also wants to do is impose a $700,000 adjusted gross income limit for commodity program payments.”
Gilson says the next few weeks will be critical in determining what happens next in the process.
“The May 23 markup from the House Ag Committee, depending on how that goes, will determine what happens in this Congress in terms of the Farm Bill. If we get a solid bipartisan vote out of that committee, I think, it can move to the House floor and really put pressure on the Senate,” says Gilson.
The 2018 Farm Bill is currently under a one-year extension that expires on Sept. 30.
Click HERE for the new Farm Bill overviews that were released by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).