The Fight Over a New Farm Bill Heating Up

By CnAgri2012-09-12 19:12:46 Print

Senate Democrats made a fresh push Tuesday for House Republicans to take up and pass a long-term farm bill that includes relief for farmers suffering from one of the worst droughts in decades.

But it appeared House Republican leaders would be unwilling to consider anything more than an extension of the current law, which expires at the end of September.

"The House leadership, for whatever reason, has decided that they're not going to bring this on the floor," Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, who chairs the Agriculture Committee, complained to reporters on a conference call.

House GOP leaders haven't taken up the bill because conservatives in their caucus oppose various aspects of the measure, including the amount spent on federal nutrition programs such as food stamps, which make up the bulk of the bill's price tag.

Conservatives want to wait until after the election--in which they hope to win control of the Senate and the White House and be in a better position to tailor the bill to their liking.

Top Senate Republican leaders backed the idea of a short-term extension if the Senate's five-year bill can't get through the House.

Meanwhile, a coalition of major farm organizations plans to rally Wednesday on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to reject a short-term bill and press forward with negotiations on a five-year bill.