Major U.S. farm groups said they would try to torpedo a short-term government funding bill in Congress this week unless it contains a multibillion-dollar bailout for agriculture. Negotiations fell apart last weekend on inclusion of so-called economic aid in the only must-pass bill left before adjournment.
“I call on members of Congress who represent agriculture to stand with farmers by insisting the supplemental spending bill include economic aid for farmers and voting it down if it doesn’t,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. Groups speaking for soybean, wheat, cotton, rice, and sorghum growers also opposed a spending bill that failed to address lower commodity prices and rising costs in farm country.
Others, such as the National Farmers Union and National Corn Growers Association, said lawmakers should try again. “Time is running out to secure a deal before the end of the year,” said NFU President Rod Larew. “Lawmakers must not walk away from their responsibility to rural America.”
Congressional leaders could unveil the content of the government funding bill this past week, with the House and Senate to vote soon afterward. At present, the so-called continuing resolution was expected to include another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, which initially expired in September 2023.
Farm groups could exercise leverage because control of Congress is closely divided. A small number of lawmakers could be a roadblock for legislation.
Republicans and Democrats blamed each other for the impasse, after each side rejected the other’s proposal. Democrats proposed $10 billion in economic assistance. The expense would be offset by shifting some $13 billion in climate funds into USDA conservation programs, while maintaining “guardrails” on how it would be spent. Republicans proposed $12 billion in economic aid with few public details on how it was structured.
“It appears that congressional Democrats have not learned the lesson of the most recent election and continue to neglect the needs of rural America,” said House Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson and Arkansas Senator John Boozman, senior Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
“Their 11th-hour offer fell short of what farmers need, short-changed critical farm bill programs, and steals from critically needed assistance to address recent natural disasters,” said Democrat Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Representative David Scott, senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. “We can and do both economic and disaster assistance, not pit one against the other.”
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Support for farmers/ranchers vis a vis government programs is lower than it has been in over a decade. Simply kicking the can down the road and not passing a new farm bill, does not help matters either. And let’s face it, agriculture net farm income is bifurcated in 2024 with livestock doing very well and crop producers, not so much. Agriculture is a strategic security interest for the country and has long enjoyed support for it to remain viable during difficult times or downturns. Such is currently the case for crop farmers. We pass out billions to other nations, but fail to support groups like our veterans or our farmers in need. Congress needs to reset their priorities and the sooner the better. After all, this will also help you sell more trucks if they have more income.
