No House farm bill conferees yet
October 04, 2013 | 04:28 PM
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is not expected to name farm bill conferees today or over the weekend, a House GOP aide has told The Hagstrom Report.
After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., earlier this week named conferees for a second time and asked the House for a conference on the farm bill, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson sent Boehner a letter urging him to name conferees immediately.
“The 2008 farm bill has now been allowed to expire twice, most recently on Septemmber 30, 2013,” said Johnson. “The fate of the farm bill is now in your hands.”
“This is an opportunity for you and the House to demonstrate that Congress is still able to get things done,” said Johnson. “With the budget and debt ceiling discussions looming, the farm bill may be the very best opportunity for any major, forward-looking legislation to pass this year. Our country’s family farmers, ranchers, fishermen, consumers and hungry citizens are depending on you.”
The key question surrounding the naming of House conferees is whether Boehner will follow tradition and name members of the House Agriculture Committee or name tea party Republicans who want to cut farm and nutrition spending.
After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., earlier this week named conferees for a second time and asked the House for a conference on the farm bill, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson sent Boehner a letter urging him to name conferees immediately.
“The 2008 farm bill has now been allowed to expire twice, most recently on Septemmber 30, 2013,” said Johnson. “The fate of the farm bill is now in your hands.”
“This is an opportunity for you and the House to demonstrate that Congress is still able to get things done,” said Johnson. “With the budget and debt ceiling discussions looming, the farm bill may be the very best opportunity for any major, forward-looking legislation to pass this year. Our country’s family farmers, ranchers, fishermen, consumers and hungry citizens are depending on you.”
The key question surrounding the naming of House conferees is whether Boehner will follow tradition and name members of the House Agriculture Committee or name tea party Republicans who want to cut farm and nutrition spending.
