SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A key congressional voice on agriculture says he’s optimistic that lawmakers can pass a new farm bill next week.
U.S Rep. Collin Peterson is the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee and is expected to become chairman next year. So he’s been heavily involved in negotiations that produced an agreement in principle last week.
Peterson told reporters in South St. Paul Tuesday that it’s not the best possible farm bill, but it’s the best bill that’s politically possible. He says it’ll provide certainty, but he worries that it won’t be enough for farmers who’ve been hit by low commodity prices that have been aggravated by the U.S.-China trade war.
He says it may be necessary for Congress to take another look next year at how to help struggling farmers.
