Farm Bill
Farmers struggle with ‘bleak’ situation as Congress waffles on new Farm Bill
The cost of fertilizer is up; crop prices are down. Farmers have struggled through drought, and ranchers sold off huge swaths of their herd. To top it all off, Congress has yet to pass a new iteration of the Farm Bill, which expires in a matter of days. And it likely won’t take action on […]
With Missouri regulations in flux, what’s the difference between hemp and marijuana?
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has vowed to run intoxicating hemp products out of Missouri, banning their sale and threatening penalties to any business that makes or sells them. In many ways, it’s the latest showdown between the marijuana industry — which has operated legally in Missouri since 2018 but is outlawed federally — and the […]
Where’s the latest farm bill? Follow the proposed spending for clues
Congress couldn’t pass a new farm bill last year, so it punted. The extension of the old bill ends in less than a month, on Sept. 30. It will likely miss that deadline, too, an unprecedented two-year delay. Farm state representatives predict doom without a new farm bill. They would have us believe we will go […]
‘Frustrating’ partisan stalemate: the new normal for farm bills?
WASHINGTON — The stalemate over the current farm bill may be solidifying a new era in farm politics as it joins the last three farm bills in a trend of delays and partisan division — a contrast from the legislation’s history of bipartisanship. Every five years, Congress is tasked with drafting a new federal farm […]
Farmers and consumers demand country of origin labeling be included in Farm Bill
Congress should stop hiding behind the unelected, bureaucratic, pro-corporate World Trade Organization and restore Country of Origin Labeling for meat in the 2024 Farm Bill. The U.S. House of Representatives released their draft of the Farm Bill, the Senate distributed their Farm Bill framework and neither includes mandatory country of origin labeling for meat. Country […]
U.S. Senate Republicans outline their farm bill framework
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Tuesday released their framework for a new five-year farm bill that will set the policy and funding levels for key food, agriculture and conservation programs. The top Republican on the committee, Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, laid out GOP priorities with reporters […]
USDA chief voices ‘deep concerns’ over U.S. House GOP farm bill’s nutrition cuts
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on a call with reporters Wednesday strongly criticized a farm bill draft written by U.S. House Republicans, saying it would damage the coalition that traditionally has united behind farm bills and “raises the real possibility of being unable to get a farm bill through the process.” The massive five-year […]
Farm bill text released in U.S. House, setting up fight with Senate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Agriculture Committee Friday released the draft bill text of the long-awaited $1.5 trillion farm bill, which is likely to face opposition in the Senate from Democrats because of disagreements over federal anti-hunger programs and climate change requirements. The chair of the committee, GOP Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania, said […]
U.S. House panel debates boost for WIC in agriculture funding bill
WASHINGTON — A U.S. House appropriations panel reviewed the Biden administration’s request to increase the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s budget for fiscal 2025 Thursday, with Republicans asking pointed questions about a proposal to boost a popular low-income nutrition program. The hearing came less than two weeks after Congress passed a months-delayed appropriations bill for the USDA for […]
Feds pledge $2.3 billion to boost ag exports amid farm bill uncertainty
Federal agricultural officials plan to spend up to $2.3 billion to promote farm exports and to send U.S. grain to countries that are suffering food shortages. “This will complement existing trade promotion programs as we await Congress’s action on both the budget and the farm bill,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Tuesday. The […]
Farm bill debate includes hemp regulation as issue takes center stage in Missouri recall
Hemp is often known for being the part of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get people high. It’s full of CBD, a nonpyschoactive cannabinoid that helps people relax and often found in massage oils and sleep aids. But much has changed since hemp was taken off the controlled substance list in 2018 by the last […]
Farm bill stalled amid U.S. House speaker battle, delay of spending bills
WASHINGTON — As Congress faces another pressing deadline to fund the government and the U.S. House grinds to a halt without a speaker, the reauthorization of the nation’s agriculture and hunger programs has taken a back seat. But lawmakers tasked with shepherding the new version maintain their progress is “in good shape.” The previous farm […]