Stabenow: Farm Bill Can Get Done This Year If Parties Are Serious

The United States Capitol Building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow insists that a long-overdue Farm Bill can get done this year if all parties are serious. It’s been more than three-and-a-half months since the 2018 Farm Bill expired and was extended by one year. Asked outside the Senate chamber if another extension would be needed, Stabenow had this caveat…

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But disagreements over how to spread fixed funding between nutrition and crop support triggers or reference prices have stood in the way, as have broader appropriations fights and delays…

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Stabenow says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s focus on using Commodity Credit Corporation dollars as he did to boost foreign marketing programs is just one answer to funding a new farm bill…

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Stabenow says crop insurance, with its immediate payout for over 130 crops, has been highly effective, but ARC and PLC less so with payout delays of a year or more. So once a farm bill is up in her panel, Stabenow says she wants to focus on those things with the quickest payout for the most producers.

From NAFB News Service