Farmers can’t afford more delays, and another shutdown looms
In the aftermath of the midterm elections, American ag organizations continue to push Congress to pass bills supportive of farmers.
Lawmakers “can do that by focusing on getting policy items, like E15 and the farm bill, across the finish line and signed into law this year. Farmers cannot afford further delay,” Matt Frostic, president of the National Corn Growers Association, said in a Nov. 10 statement.
“Congress must finally deliver a farm bill to rural America, enact much-needed economic and disaster assistance, and begin addressing the input cost crisis threatening farm families,” Sam Kieffer, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers, said on Nov. 9.
Industry groups are using the hashtag #FinishTheFarmBill to further express the importance of getting the bill across the finish line.
“It’s time to #FinishTheFarmBill to provide the certainty the fresh supply chain needs,” the International Fresh Produce Association said on X.
Lawmakers don’t have much time to pass the Farm Bill and any other outstanding legislation.
Republicans will maintain control of the House and Senate during the 119th Congress, which ends in January 2027.
But once the 120th Congress begins with the Democrats controlling both chambers, any unpassed bills are considered dead and must be reintroduced.
This last occurred between 2012 and 2014.
At the time, the Senate passed its finalized version of the bill. The House Ag Committee passed its document but House leadership wouldn’t put it to a vote over SNAP issues.
The bill died when the 112th Congress ended in January 2013. The two sides eventually passed the bill in February 2014.
In addition, a Dec. 11 government shutdown date is approaching.
The House passed its version of the bill in April.
The Senate Ag Committee passed its version in September but it still requires a full Senate vote plus working together with the House to come up with a finalized document to send to President Trump’s desk.
John Boozman, the current chair of the Senate Ag Committee, remains hopeful Democrats and Republicans can see the Farm Bill through.
“Our goal is to advance a comprehensive, five-year farm bill by the end of the year, and I’m very, very hopeful that we can accomplish this,” he said during the Future of Arkansas Agriculture and Beyond event.
An issue related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a sticking point between Republicans and Democrats.
States with error rates higher than 6 percent, which include underpayments and overpayments, are facing new cost-sharing requirements beginning next October.
In 2025, for example, Alaska’s error rate of 23.15 percent, was the highest in the country. And South Dakota’s error rate of 2.47 was the lowest.
The national average was 10.62 percent according to USDA data.
Republicans proposed a one-year delay as a compromise, but Democrats want a two-year window.