House Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson acknowledged on Monday that time is tight for enactment of the new farm bill by Sept. 30, when current law expires. But he stuck to his frequent forecast of a bipartisan and bicameral bill “on time,” which might mean a floor vote in the House.
“This committee will do its job in a timely manner,” said Thompson at the end of a farm bill listening session in Freeport, Maine. “We’ll do our job. The time part — we only control the House.”
Thompson cast the Senate Agriculture Committee as the laggard, although neither panel has drafted a version of the multi-part legislation. He has said the House committee could vote on the farm bill after the House returns on Sept. 12 from its summer recess, leaving two weeks or so to get the bill onto the House calendar amid an expected rush to vote on government funding bills before the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.
“I will say the clock is ticking,” said Thompson twice during his comments on the farm bill outlook.