New Farm Bill

New Farm Bill

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
There is a great source for agricultural information called agri-pulse.com and next month they will launch a series on the seven things you should know before you write the next farm bill. The series and accompanying farm bill summits are both meant to educate new faces on Capital Hill and throughout Washington. The process to draft the next farm bill is expected to begin this year and interested parties are hopeful they can wrap up during 2018. Dale Moore is the executive director of public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation and is a sponsor of the series and Summit. He says for every new farm bill, there are major lessons from years past. "Every farm bill that rolls around, there's a little bit of refreshing your memory. There are folks like myself that have a lot of gray hair that are part of this process but there are a lot of new folks. That’s what we are looking at. Let's not get too far ahead of the curve but take time, whether it's the new agriculture lawyers, a new member of Congress, even the current members. Let them understand and make it clear that we are ready to work together and try and help educate so that they are not spending all their time fighting off the bad people who want to undo a farm bill.” While the series is focused toward Capitol Hill, it will also be useful for new staffers of the nation’s ag organizations. Moore says House and Senate agriculture committee leaders want a unified voice from the industry and the industry has the opportunity to provide it. "As both chairs have shared with Pres. DuVall at different times, the one thing that we can do that will help more than anything else is make sure that when agriculture comes to them, they don't expect us to be holding hands on every single issue. If we can give them a strong, united front that cuts down on the amount of refereeing that they have to do amongst us in the farm family, then we can go over and be better prepared for those who may want to have their own say whether they are particularly excited about being part of it or not.” The series will begin next month in the Farm Bill Summit will take place, March 20th at the national press club in Washington.
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