With Congress passing another extension, some economists suggest a new reality may be setting in: the era of comprehensive Farm Bills could be ending, replaced by a piecemeal approach in Washington.
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The U.S. Senate broke a 41-day long stalemate on Monday evening by passing a funding bill to end the longest partial government shutdown in history.
The Senate bill would fully fund USDA through the 2026 fiscal year. The bill also extends programs under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (commonly known as the 2018 farm bill) until at least Sept. 30, 2026. That would give the House and Senate Agriculture committees more time to try again to complete the rest of the farm bill.
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Louisiana farmers, along with their counterparts across the nation, are urging Congress to pass a new farm bill this year, expressing concerns that the current safety net is inadequate to address rising costs. The urgency was palpable at the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Antonio, where attendees packed a session on the upcoming farm bill.
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At the outset of the 119th Congress, Congresswoman Julia Letlow has filed two pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening disaster assistance for livestock and crawfish producers and providing increased flexibility for farmers with soybean crops covered by federal crop insurance.
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Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson was reelected as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in dramatic fashion on Friday as the 119th Congress got underway. Johnson eventually secured the necessary 218 Republican votes after a couple representatives changed their position before the final tally.
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As you may have heard, Congress was finally successful late into Friday night in passing a Continuing Resolution that included many priorities we worked very hard to achieve. The House passed the measure 366-34-1 with all Louisiana members voting in favor. The Senate passed the resolution 85-11, Cassidy supporting and Kennedy opposing.
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House Republicans tried and failed Thursday evening to fast-track a measure to keep the government funded through a maneuver that required a two-thirds majority, pushing the government closer to a shutdown.
The new deal would extend government funding for three months, suspend the debt limit until January 2027 and provide $110 billion in disaster aid. It also includes health care policy extenders, funding for rebuilding Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and a renewal of the farm bill for one year.
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Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain discussing the importance of self-reliance and the Farm Bill. Strain emphasizes the need for countries to achieve self-reliance to buy American products, highlighting the strength of the U.S. dollar. He notes that while countries need to be self-reliant, the U.S. must help them achieve this to maintain trade relationships.
Strain outlines the U.S. strategy to diversify trade by engaging with smaller, less-traveled countries, moving away from reliance on major partners like China.
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American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall delivered a letter to Congress urging elected leaders to stand with farmers as they reconsider the contents of a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government and potentially offer a lifeline to farmers and ranchers. Below are excerpts from the letter.
“Any alternative Continuing Resolution (CR) must include: a farm bill extension, aid to rebuild after natural disasters, economic assistance to bridge the gap until we can get to a new farm bill, and year-round E-15 sales.”
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Congress appears to have failed to reach a consensus Wednesday on a Continuing Resolution.
We're grateful to you, our grassroots members, for taking the time let your representatives in Washington, D.C. know Louisiana agriculture cannot be ignored.
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American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall today is asking Congress to pass the continuing resolution bill that includes support for farmers.
“I know I speak for farmers across the country when I say thank you to Speaker Johnson, Leaders Jeffries, Schumer and McConnell, and many other members of Congress for recognizing the incredibly difficult agricultural economy by including in the year-end legislation: much-needed economic assistance for farmers; emergency aid for communities devastated by natural disasters; a farm bill extension; and for making E-15 available at fuel pumps all year long.
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The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) President & CEO Daren Coppock released the following statement with concerns that Congress may neglect critical payments needed by growers as legislators work on the year-end continuing resolution this week.
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National Sorghum Producers Chair Amy France, a sorghum farmer from Scott City, Kansas, released the following statement of concern over Congress’ inability to include economic relief for producers in the year-end supplemental legislation. NSP is urging lawmakers from farm states to reject the bill if it fails to include this vital assistance.
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As members of Congress representing districts where farming and ranching keep our rural communities alive, we know the challenges producers endure to provide for our country. However, inflation, high interest rates, and erratic weather have driven many farmers across the country to the breaking point.
Farmers need relief in the form of an updated farm bill, and Congress must act. Instead of adjusting the 2018 farm bill to provide reasonable support, Congress extended this legislation in September 2023 without meaningful reforms.
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American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall today expressed disappointment that Congress appears to turn a blind eye to the agricultural recession in its year-end supplemental legislation. Duvall calls on farm state members to oppose the bill if economic aid for farmers is missing.
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