The 2018 Farm Bill extension will soon officially expire, and there is no clear path forward, creating growing uncertainty in the ag industry.
Farm Bill talks have been going on for more than a year, but slowdowns with government spending bills have put a damper on that progress in recent months. Lawmakers recently passed a stop-gap bill to keep the government going but it only goes through mid-December, leaving limited time to get the Farm Bill passed during the lame-duck session. It is a situation that does not sit well with some lawmakers.
“We should not be kicking the can down the road to December 20th, a mere 5 days before Christmas, which is what this town always does,” said Rep. Andy Harris.
Most lawmakers have started to leave Washington DC until the election is over. While there is still a lot of work to do, Congressional ag leaders remain hopeful they can get a five-year Farm Bill across the finish line before the year is up.
