House Ag Committee Takes Big Step in Farm Bill Process
Joe Gilson
Director, Government Affairs
Chad Smith
Associate News Service Editor, NAFB
photo credit: AFBF Photo, Philip Gerlach
The House Agriculture Committee successfully marked up a new farm bill last week. Chad Smith has more on the legislation headed to the House floor.
Smith: It took approximately 13 hours, but the House Agriculture Committee sent their version of the farm bill from Committee Chair "GT" Thompson to the full House for a vote. Joe Gilson, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau, says it was quite a process to get the bill out of committee.
Gilson: Last week, Chairman Thompson had a markup of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024. It was a 13-hour day for the chairman and all committee members, but at the end of the day, they passed the bill out of committee with a bipartisan vote, and that means it moves to the House floor.
Smith: Gilson says the American Farm Bureau is hoping to see the momentum continue in the House.
Gilson: Now, it's up to the leadership in the House to see when they have time to bring the bill up. Obviously, it still has to go through the rules committee process, but it advances favorably with a bipartisan vote, and as American Farm Bureau, we're hoping House leaders can continue the momentum and bring this important legislation to a vote on the floor.
Smith: He says the congressional calendar could pose a challenge to get the bill through the House.
Gilson: It's going to be tight. We're well aware of the tight margins in both chambers, especially in the House, and a crowded congressional calendar. We all know that this fall, it's a big election, and so we're going to have members of Congress back home early this fall, so it's a tight and crowded congressional calendar, but we're hoping this presents an opportunity for us to move a bipartisan bill.
Smith: Learn more at fb.org/farmbill. Chad Smith, Washington.
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