This Week in DC
The Senate plans to name its farm bill negotiators this week, clearing the way for the talks to begin as House members scatter for the August recess.
The House named its 47 conferees last week. The Senate is expected to have just seven - four Republicans and three Democrats. The GOP conferees will include Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has taken a personal interest in getting a new farm bill enacted.
The full conference is not expected to meet this week before the House goes on recess, but Roberts and House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said they hoped to meet together with the ranking Democrats on their committees this week to begin discussing the major issues they face, including the House demands for food stamp reform.
“We’ve got to get this done,” said Conaway.
The Senate is expected to remain in session for at least a portion of, if not most of, August. Conaway said he would remain in close contact with his colleagues and staff even though he won't be in Washington.
He and Roberts have said they are committed to finishing the negotiations by Sept. 30, when many programs in the 2014 farm bill expire, but the talks could drag on longer. (Crop insurance is not affected, since it is permanently authorized, and commodity programs will remain in effect for the 2018 marketing year.)
Click Here to read more.
The House named its 47 conferees last week. The Senate is expected to have just seven - four Republicans and three Democrats. The GOP conferees will include Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has taken a personal interest in getting a new farm bill enacted.
The full conference is not expected to meet this week before the House goes on recess, but Roberts and House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said they hoped to meet together with the ranking Democrats on their committees this week to begin discussing the major issues they face, including the House demands for food stamp reform.
“We’ve got to get this done,” said Conaway.
The Senate is expected to remain in session for at least a portion of, if not most of, August. Conaway said he would remain in close contact with his colleagues and staff even though he won't be in Washington.
He and Roberts have said they are committed to finishing the negotiations by Sept. 30, when many programs in the 2014 farm bill expire, but the talks could drag on longer. (Crop insurance is not affected, since it is permanently authorized, and commodity programs will remain in effect for the 2018 marketing year.)
Click Here to read more.