Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, says Congress is going to have to pass another stopgap spending bill in September to keep the government funded into fiscal 2025, and she won’t be surprised if it includes a farm bill extension. Interviewed for this week’s Agri-Pulse Newsmakers, the House Ag Committee member says she doesn’t know how long the extension would run.
Reports out of Washington about the slow pace of spending from the massive infrastructure funding Congress approved and the President signed continue to put pressure on federal and state agencies to get the money out. The huge influx of money has been a boon to consultants to plan and design projects eligible for the federal spending. The American Road and Transportation Builders Association continues to track the flow of construction funds.
Yesterday the House Agriculture Committee began consideration of its proposed 5 year reauthorization of the farm bill. The bill faces a September deadline for consideration and has a long way to go for approval in a difficult political environment. Here is what leaders of some of the major ag organizations are saying about the House Committee proposal.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sharply criticized House Republicans’ proposed farm bill on Wednesday, saying they are relying on “budget gimmicks” to fund legislation that overpromises and won't deliver for producers.
Workers Plead with Drivers to Slow Down in New Videos, Construction Officials Call for Tougher Safety and Education Measures as Annual Survey Details Growing Risks to Drivers & Workers from Work Zone Crashes.
One of LICA’s first visits on the National Mall was with Bill Hurley, Vice President of Global Government Affairs for AGCO Corporation and Chairman of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers Agriculture Sector Board. The event is organized by AEM and features a display of the technology in farm machinery that’s helping to feed and fuel a growing global population. Exhibiting companies shared how advanced technology is helping farmers not only increase production but also protect the environment with improved sustainability. Hurley says technology enables farmers to apply precision practices to individual plants in a field.
Hurley expressed the importance of associations like LICA in the event to build awareness on the role that agriculture plays in the nation’s economy. Hurley also discussed how agricultural is one of the premier stewards of the land and uses advanced technology to preserve the land and increase productivity.
The one topic on everyone’s mind was the status of the farm bill. Passing a new farm bill this year is still a long shot, but the House Agriculture Committee’s plan to mark up a bill later this month could help some vulnerable Republicans while also putting additional political pressure on a handful of Democrats who are in close re-election races.
According to Agri-Pulse, Congressional Agriculture Committee leaders are providing glimpses into their intentions for farm bill conservation programs with proposals to make potentially significant changes to longstanding programs such as Conservation Reserve Program and to create new ones.
Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee are offering to advance some Democratic policy priorities on issues ranging from nutrition assistance to rural community aid in a bid to win bipartisan support for a new farm bill.
Internal polling presented Wednesday to House Democrats showed that immigration is ratcheting up in importance in the minds of voters. Now, the party is trying to figure out how best to message on an issue that Democrats have traditionally adopted a defensive posture on.