Despite Progress, Farm Bill Passage Still Unlikely

There’s been recent progress toward a 2024 Farm Bill, but is it fast enough?

Farm Policy News from the University of Illinois says lawmakers have hinted that passage of a full farm bill this year is growing more unlikely. Another extension of the 2018 Farm Bill remains the most likely outcome before the end of the current extension in September.

Farm Policy News says Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow is pessimistic that the House Ag Committee-passed bill will make it through the House, and she fears a Senate bill may face the same fate. Stabenow rejected Republican proposals because of cuts to nutrition spending and removing “climate guardrails” in the Inflation Reduction Act funding.

Several industry experts point out that the bill is unlikely to pass because lawmakers have only completed a small portion of the necessary steps to pass a bill and eight steps are left to go.