The latest proposal for a five year farm bill passed the Senate agriculture committee Wednesday on a 12 to 11 party line vote.
Five committee members who represent the KXCV-KRNW listening, who are all Republicans, were part of the majority vote.
Click the LISTEN button to hear comments from Senator Charles Grassley that were provided by his office, and Mark Moran's report where Iowa ag producers say there is no clear solution or cohesive plan forward in the current Senate version of the bill.
Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa posted on his website that "The Farm Bill builds on the Working Families Tax Cuts Act Republicans passed last summer by strengthening the farm safety net, investing in rural communities and boosting America’s long-term competitiveness. The legislation will invest in Rural America and provide needed certainty for the ag economy. Importantly, the bill advanced by the committee today also authorizes the permanent, year-round sale of E15.
Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa posted on her website that “Today’s vote moves the Farm Bill process forward and brings us closer to delivering certainty for Iowa farmers and rural communities. The bill includes important priorities I have fought for, from expanding access to year-round E15 and protecting American farmland from China to supporting farmer mental health,” said Senator Ernst. “There is still work ahead to build the bipartisan support needed to get a strong five-year Farm Bill across the finish line. I am ready to work with my colleagues across the aisle on a fair path forward for SNAP that strengthens accountability and treats states equally. The final Farm Bill must also include a long-term solution to Proposition 12 that protects livestock producers from a costly future patchwork of conflicting state mandates. I will keep working to deliver a Farm Bill into law that meets the needs of Iowa agriculture.”
Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska posted on her website that “We are one step closer to getting a full Farm Bill done for producers in Nebraska, and across the country,” Fischer said. “I am proud to have led the effort to get E15 included in this strong, bipartisan bill, and secure many of my top priorities for the ag industry and rural America. I thank Chairman Boozman for his leadership and unwavering support for farmers and ranchers who are in dire need of a modern Farm Bill.”
Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas posted on his Facebook page that this secures "important priorities for Kansas farmers and ranchers, including year-round E-15, modernized farm loan limits, strengthened conservation programs, expanded trade promotion and the permanent transfer of Food for Peace to USDA. This is a critical step toward advancing a Farm Bill that provides certainty and support for farmers, ranchers and rural communities in Kansas and across the nation. When farmers and ranchers succeed, rural America succeeds. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to move this legislation across the finish line and to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas posted on his website the day before the vote that "The Farm Bill is at the Top of My List".
The president of the Iowa Farmer's Union, fifth generation Iowa farmer Aaron Lehman of rural Polk County, told Mark Moran of the Public News Service that lawmakers are having a hard time finding consensus on such a wide range of issues, including how to handle large cuts to SNAP subsidies. Lehman also pointed out the farm bill under consideration fails to address monopolies in the food and fertilizer industries, where very few companies control most of the market, which he contended has a direct effect on the profitability of local food systems.
