Where is the Farm Bill Headed in 2014?

We’re continuing the negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill. The 2008 Farm Bill expired in September of 2012, and our one-year extension of that bill expired this past September. So we’re on borrowed time. The good news is that we’re getting close to a deal.

I’m hopeful that the Farm Bill Conference Committee can get together to vote on a final bill sometime in the next two weeks. What will be in it? While many of the details aren’t yet final, we know that the next Farm Bill will move away from direct payments, which are sent out regardless of how much farmers are producing. Instead, this bill will be much more tuned to the free market by strengthening crop insurance which lets farmers pay premiums for coverage which only pays out if they suffer a loss. We’re also making progress on nutrition assistance. My goal for the final bill is to close loopholes and reduce program abuse that wastes taxpayer dollars. We want to be sure that nutrition assistance is going to families in need, and that we’re empowering them to play an active role in the workforce and their communities.