Senator Pat Roberts points out that the U.S. House has the next move on the farm bill.
The Senate Agriculture Committee chairman told a group of veteran farmers this week that the farm bill conference should begin “soon,” according to the Hagstrom Report. However, Roberts says the House must make the next move by rejecting the Senate version of the bill and asking to move forward to the conference effort.
A spokesperson from House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway’s office said there is no plan yet on when to send the bill back to the Senate, but says staff from the Senate and House agriculture committees are working to figure out how to “handle the mechanics” of the conference committee. Even if the conference does not begin until after the August recess, “the goal remains getting a farm bill done on time,” according to Conaway’s office.
A on-time bill means lawmakers must send the bill to President Trump before September 30th.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.