Observers had anticipated progress on the 2023 delayed Farm Bill in the lame duck session of the 118th Congress. This past week, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced the Senate version incorporating an additional $39 billion in expenditure including $20 billion towards the Farm Safety Net.
Senator John Boozman (R-AR) the ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee characterized the proposal as a “non-starter” noting, “an eleventh-hour partisan proposal released after expiration of the current Farm Bill extension is insulting”.
The expired 2018 Farm Bill was extended through September 30, 2024 but all expenditure on agriculture will cease on December 31st hence the need for action by Congress. The House Agriculture Committee has presented their version of the 2023 Farm Bill but it has yet to be considered by the full House.
The question of legislation to overrule California Proposition 12 appears to be an impediment towards adoption of a comprehensive Farm Bill with strong lobbying by the National Pork Producers’ Council.
Passage of a Farm Bill will probably be easier in the 119th Congress given that the Republican party will hold a majority in both the House and the Senate with a greater inclination to increase commodity reference of prices. This will be a major issue following the decline in exports of agricultural commodities due to tariffs on imports from China and other nations. It is anticipated that a Farm bill enacted by the 119th Congress will place greater restrictions on SNAP eligibility and expenditure.