Senate accepts UC to send farm bill back to House
July 18, 2013 | 06:57 PM
The Senate just before 6 p.m. accepted without exception a unanimous consent resolution introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today to send the farm bill back to the House and set the stage for a conference and the appointment of conferees.
The Senate earlier had sent its farm bill to the House, but that bill contained finance measures that the House cannot consider because all financing bills must originate in the House. The House sent its bill to the Senate so that the Senate can replace it with the Senate bill, which will mean that the Senate bill will have a House number and can be considered.
Stabenow also asked that Senate conferees be appointed with a ratio of seven Democrats to five Republicans.
There was no objection to Stabenow’s request.
“We are, in fact, now officially sending back our Senate bill to the House and requesting a conference on the farm bill,” Stabenow said. “This is a very important step.”
Stabenow also thanked Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and added special thanks to Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. for his help in convincing Republican senators to support the bill.
Hoeven, Stabenow said, “has done yeoman’s work this evening and today.”
She added that Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., had also been "very involved" in the process.
“This is a very important step as we move forward in what I am very confident, despite the twists and turns, will result in a bipartisan farm bill,” Stabenow said. “I want to commend, despite terrific odds and challenges, the chairman in the House and ranking member in the House for their efforts, and I’m confident that working together that we will be able to get this done for the American people.”
Earlier, Hoeven had said that Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., all had raised questions about sending the farm bill back to the House.
Hoeven said that Flake and Vitter appeared to be satisfied that their issues had been addressed. Flake wanted to be sure the direct payments program is ended, Hoeven said, and other senators wanted to be sure that the food stamp program is reformed.
Hoeven said that Toomey still had concerns, but apparently those were resolved.
The Senate earlier had sent its farm bill to the House, but that bill contained finance measures that the House cannot consider because all financing bills must originate in the House. The House sent its bill to the Senate so that the Senate can replace it with the Senate bill, which will mean that the Senate bill will have a House number and can be considered.
Stabenow also asked that Senate conferees be appointed with a ratio of seven Democrats to five Republicans.
There was no objection to Stabenow’s request.
“We are, in fact, now officially sending back our Senate bill to the House and requesting a conference on the farm bill,” Stabenow said. “This is a very important step.”
Stabenow also thanked Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and added special thanks to Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. for his help in convincing Republican senators to support the bill.
Hoeven, Stabenow said, “has done yeoman’s work this evening and today.”
She added that Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., had also been "very involved" in the process.
“This is a very important step as we move forward in what I am very confident, despite the twists and turns, will result in a bipartisan farm bill,” Stabenow said. “I want to commend, despite terrific odds and challenges, the chairman in the House and ranking member in the House for their efforts, and I’m confident that working together that we will be able to get this done for the American people.”
Earlier, Hoeven had said that Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., all had raised questions about sending the farm bill back to the House.
Hoeven said that Flake and Vitter appeared to be satisfied that their issues had been addressed. Flake wanted to be sure the direct payments program is ended, Hoeven said, and other senators wanted to be sure that the food stamp program is reformed.
Hoeven said that Toomey still had concerns, but apparently those were resolved.
