U.S. Rep. Mike Flood Says December is ‘Best Case Scenario’ for Passage of Farm Bill

By Brian Beach

Agricultural producers hoping to see Congress pass a farm bill will likely have to wait until the end of the year, according to U.S. Rep. Mike Flood.

The congressman, who represents Nebraska’s 1st District, said avoiding a government shutdown is the first priority for Congress, as the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. He said that will require negotiations with Democrats to put a budget together and ensure the government is funded.

“If we can find compromise on that, we can pass a farm bill,” Flood said. “If we can't compromise and the Democrats won't come to the table on funding the government, I don't have a lot of hope for the farm bill in the short term.”

Congress has passed 18 omnibus agricultural policy bills, commonly known as farm bills, since 1933. That’s approximately one every five years. The most recent farm bill was passed in 2018.

The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Congress passed in July includes several farm bill provisions, including an extension of commodity support programs, updates to crop insurance, funding for conservation programs and trade promotion.

However, many industry leaders are asking for a so-called "Farm Bill 2.0" or "Skinny Farm Bill" to address issues that weren’t included in the "Big, Beautiful Bill."

Only four of the 12 sections in the 2018 farm bill were updated through the July budget reconciliation.

Last week, hundreds of organizations from across the country, including the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, Nebraska Corn Growers Association and the Nebraska Farm Bureau, sent a letter to the majority and minority leaders of the U.S. House and Senate, urging them to prioritize the development and passage of a farm bill.

“While vital provisions to ensure long-term stability and competitiveness for U.S. agriculture were included in the budget reconciliation bill, it cannot and should not be a substitute for a full Farm Bill. The full suite of programs across all Farm Bill titles are essential to the viability of our agricultural system and rural communities,” it read.