September 6, 2018
Conferees on the farm bill understand the economic challenges facing farmers and want to get a farm bill done to provide certainty — a popular word among them — to farmers and rural America.
Leading lawmakers on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees met in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, committing to get a farm bill done by Sept. 30> however, many of the conferees had significant reservations about specific provisions or differences between the House and Senate bills.
“Getting a farm bill done is paramount to any other issue or concern,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who is working on his eighth farm bill. Roberts said he is committed to compromise.
Roberts adjourned the meeting after more than three hours of speeches from the 56 lawmakers, which includes nine senators and 47 House members. It’s now likely remaining talks to complete a farm bill will include largely staff and a handful of principal lawmakers seeking compromises.
