While the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Representative Glenn GT Thompson, has been hoping for September Farm Bill markup, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says Congress will deliver a farm bill, but not likely in September. Roll Call says McConnell told the Kentucky Farm Bureau that Congress is running out of working days on the legislative calendar before the current law expires on September 30.
McConnell is one of the highest-ranking members of Congress to admit the timeline for a new farm bill is shifting past September. When asked about reauthorizing the five-year farm bill, McConnell says, “We’ll figure it out.”
While the current bill runs out on September 30, it looks like the new deadline for farm legislation will be December 31. On January 1, some American farm policies will revert to 1940s-era controls on production and costly price supports. If the farm bill does get pushed to 2024, a one-year extension becomes likely as it’s a presidential election year, and both parties will battle for Congressional control.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)