Senate Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts is also chair of the House-Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee.
The Hagstrom Report says Roberts feels Congress is running out of time to finish the farm bill conference report before the current bill expires on September 30th. He’s asking House Ag Chair Michael Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson to remain in Washington, in spite of the fact that the House is out of session this week.
Roberts told reporters that “we’re running out of time.” As the deadline rapidly approaches, Roberts says negotiations could continue if Conaway and Peterson can return to Washington. “If you don’t get it done by that time, you aren’t going to do it,” Roberts says. Key leaders have still not come to an agreement on a budget for each title in the new farm bill. As a result, Roberts says lawmakers might not be able to finish the bill until after the November election. “it might have to be after the election,” he said to reporters. “I don’t know for sure.”
The Senate reconvenes on Monday at 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time.
Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.