Senate Republicans will do their part to smooth the way, but time is already running out for Congress to write the new farm bill, said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday. The 2018 farm law expires in four months, and leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture committees have yet to unveil a first-round text for the farm bill, an unusually late start for a time-consuming process.
“Congress needs to do its job and get this legislation across the finish line — swiftly,” said McConnell during a brief Senate speech, while offering a hand of cooperation to the Democratic majority.
SNAP could be a major dispute in farm bill negotiations — conservative Republicans proposed deep cuts in food stamps in the 2014 and 2018 farm bills — despite hopes the issue was resolved as part of the debt limit bill passed last week. At a hearing on Wednesday, House Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson suggested that too many people were enrolled in public nutrition programs and that SNAP needed improvement. “My goal is preservation for those truly in need,” he said.
Farm groups want to expand the crop insurance program and boost crop supports, potentially costly steps. Senate Agriculture Committee chair Debbie Stabenow told a nutrition conference earlier this week that no new funding was available for the farm bill.
All the same, said an aide to Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, the senior Republican on the committee, “There are resources available for us to meet various needs. Positive conversations continue, and staff are hard at work crafting the details.”
McConnell pointed to high inflation, rising farm production costs, and lower commodity prices in urging action on the farm bill. “This legislation is the cornerstone of the government’s approach to helping farmers feed America,” he said.
“Last week, negotiators between the Democratic president and the Republican speaker allowed the Senate to take an important step toward fiscal sanity and avert economic catastrophe,” said McConnell. “In the coming months, we’ll need further collaboration to produce legislation that puts farmers first and secures our food supply. Senate Republicans stand ready to do our part.”
The debt limit bill was passed by large bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate. It expanded the age range of so-called ABAWDs (able-bodied adults without dependents), who are limited to 90 days of SNAP benefits in a three-year period unless they work at least 80 hours a month — a Republican goal. The bill also removed the 90-day limit for ABAWDs who are veterans, homeless, or young adults up to age 24 who have “aged out” of foster care.
McConnell is the second-ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, although as the GOP’s Senate leader, he rarely appears at committee meetings. Two members of McConnell’s leadership team, John Thune of South Dakota and Joni Ernst of Iowa, are Agriculture panelists. Stabenow and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are part of Senate Democratic leadership.
To watch a video of McConnell’s remarks on the farm bill, click here.