Local Farmers Frustrated With Lack Of Movement On The Farm Bil

With far-reaching food and farm legislation stuck in limbo thanks to gridlock in Congress, local farmers are getting frustrated. The 2018 Farm Bill is an omnibus piece of legislation that sets policy for agriculture initiatives, conservation and nutrition programs. It is intended to be renewed every five years and was on Congress’ docket last year, but partisan and inter-party debates over federal spending resulted in a year-long extension of the legislation. On Monday, that year-long extension came and went without resolution, and the 2018 Farm Bill expired. U.S. House Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, noted in a press release last week that she led an effort to push House GOP leadership to bring the House Republicans’ proposed Farm Bill up for a vote. That version, passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture in May, included increases to commodity spending and an estimated $30 billion decrease in funding for SNAP — which Democrats opposed — according to the Congressional Budget Office.