Ag Committee Members Advancing Farm Bill Talks

The “big four” farm bill leaders met Thursday in an effort to advance negotiations of the conference committee. Senators Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow, along with Representatives Mike Conaway and Collin Peterson, met Thursday in Washington to advance the farm bill talks, even though the House of Representatives is on recess until after the midterm elections. It’s the first face-to-face meeting of the leaders since some political finger-pointing regarding the delay, according to Politico. The 2014 farm bill expired over at the end of September with no new farm bill in place. Regardless, there’s much work to be done as Conaway has consistently said there is no firm agreement in place on any single title of the farm bill. The farm bill is expected to be completed and up for a vote sometime following the November midterm elections, as part of a busy lame-duck session.