American Farmers’ Hopes Dashed, New U.S. Farm Bill Won’t Happen in 2013

Dec 11, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Agricultural lawmakers in the U.S. Congress said Tuesday that a new Farm Bill won’t be completed before January, 2014. Hyper partisan politics has stood in the way of Democrats and Republicans reaching a compromise on key parts of the legislation, such as funding for food stamps.

Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee, Republican Frank Lucas, said the House plans to draft a bill asking for a one-month extension on the current 2008 Farm Bill. While the Republicans are calling for an extension, Debbie Stabenow, chairwomen of the Senate Agricultural Committee said that Democrats will not support an extension and would rather allow the current Farm Bill law to expire at the end of the year.

The Farm Bill saga has been going on since mid-2012 and has been delayed numerous times over food stamps, a disagreement between Republicans and Democrats. House Republicans want to cut $40 billion over 10 years, while the Senate Democrats propose $4.5 billion in cuts.

Both the House and Senate versions of the bill would reduce spending on farm subsidies, conservation progress and food stamps. Overall, the Farm Bill is a $500 billion measure. The House will adjourn for the year on Friday, while the Senate is slated to finish up by Dec. 20.

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.