U.S. Senate Picks Farm Bill Conferees

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The Senate named conferees to reconcile the differences in the farm bill legislation by the Senate and the House on Thursday.

Democrat conferees include: Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Senators Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Max Baucus, D-Mont., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. and Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

Republican representatives include: Ranking Member Thad Cochran, R-Miss. and Senators Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., John Boozman, R-Ark., and John Hoeven, R-N.D.  

Conferees were named ahead of the August recess. The Senate passed its version of a farm bill in June, while the House passed a farm bill mandate without the nutrition title, in July. The Republican controlled House say a food stamp-only bill is coming. Reports say the House plans to bring a bill forward with $40-billion in cuts, nearly double the $20.5-billion in cuts that were included in the farm bill mandate that failed on the house floor in June.

The 2008 farm bill extension expires on Sept. 30.
 

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