(The Center Square) – Despite several federal farm and agriculture assistance programs having stopped in the middle of harvest season, Congress likely won’t reauthorize funding until after the midterm elections.
Congress is woefully behind on passing a federal farm bill, which it is supposed to do every five years but has not since 2018, relying on extensions instead.
kAmu2C> 3:==D FA52E6 2?5 2FE9@C:K6 7F?5:?8 =6G6=D 7@C 2 G2C:6EJ @7 AC@8C2>D E92E DFAA@CE E96 28C:4F=EFC2= :?5FDECJ 2?5 CFC2= 2C62D @7 E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm%92E :?4=F56D E2IA2J6C 7F?5:?8 7@C 72C> =@2?D[ 4C@A :?DFC2?46 2?5 AC:46 DFAA@CE[ 5:D2DE6C 2DD:DE2?46[ 7656C2= 28C:4F=EFC2= C6D62C49[ 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2?5 7@C6DE >2?286>6?E AC@8C2>D[ 2?:>2= 5:D62D6 E6DE:?8[ DFAA@CE 7@C CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 H2E6C :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ 2?5 6?6C8J 2DD:DE2?46 =@2?D]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 >@DE C646?E 72C> 3:== 6IE6?D:@? 6IA:C:?8 $6AE] b_[ D@>6 AC@8C2>D 92G6 E6>A@C2C:=J 6IA:C65 @C 6IA6C:6?465 5:DCFAE:@?D 2D H6==]k^Am
kAmt?C@==>6?E :? E96 r@?D6CG2E:@? #6D6CG6 !C@8C2> :D A2FD65[ 2D E96 u2C> $6CG:46 p86?4J 4FCC6?E=J 92D ?@ 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 2FE9@C:K2E:@? E@ 2AAC@G6 ?6H 4@?EC24ED]k^Am
kAmp55:E:@?2==J[ E96 #FC2= t4@?@>:4 s6G6=@A>6?E !C@8C2> 2?5 q:@C67:?6CJ pDD:DE2?46 !C@8C2> 2C6 :? @A6C2E:@?2= =:>3@ 2?5 =24< ?6H 7F?5:?8 DEC62>D] (9:=6 E96 $A64:2=EJ rC@A q=@4< vC2?E !C@8C2> C646:G65 25G2?465 7F?5:?8 :? a_ad[ AC@8C2> @A6C2E:?8 2FE9@C:EJ 6IA:C65 ~4E] `[ A@E6?E:2==J D=@H:?8 @C =:>:E:?8 8C2?E 2H2C5D]k^Am
kAm%96 |2C<6E p446DD !C@8C2>[ ~C82?:4 p8C:4F=EFC6 #6D62C49 2?5 tIE6?D:@? x?:E:2E:G6[ 2?5 D@>6 2?:>2= 962=E9 2?5 5:D62D6 AC6G6?E:@? AC@8C2>D 2== 7246 :>A=6>6?E2E:@? F?46CE2:?EJ]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 &]$] w@FD6 A2DD65 :ED G6CD:@? @7 E96 =68:D=2E:@? >@?E9D 28@[ E96 $6?2E6 92D =28865 369:?5 @? :ED 65:E:@?[ H9:49 A2DD65 @FE @7 4@>>:EE66 >:5\$6AE6>36C 2?5 DE:== 2H2:ED 2 7=@@C G@E6] %96 492>36CD >FDE F=E:>2E6=J C64@?4:=6 E96 5:776C6?46D E@ AC@5F46 2?5 A2DD 2 D:?8=6 4@>AC@>:D6 3:== 367@C6 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 42? D:8? :E :?E@ =2H]k^Am
kAm!2CE @7 E96 C62D@? 7@C E96 $6?2E6 3:==’D 56=2J :D 5F6 E@ =2H>2<6CD 9288=:?8 @G6C H96E96C E@ 2FE9@C:K6 J62C\C@F?5 D2=6D @7 t`d 82D@=:?6 2?5 H96E96C E@ 56=2J E96 ?6H DE2E6 4@DE\D92C:?8 C6BF:C6>6?ED 7@C $}p!]k^Am
kAmx? E96:C A@DED E92?<:?8 72C>6CD |@?52J – H9:49 :D }2E:@?2= u2C>6CD s2J – D6G6C2= =2H>2<6CD 24<?@H=65865 E96 492==6?86D E96 &]$] 28C:4F=EFC2= :?5FDECJ 4FCC6?E=J 7246D]k^Am
kAm$6?] %65 qF55[ #\}]r][ 25>:EE65 E92E :E’D “366? 2 5:77:4F=E D62D@? 7@C 28C:4F=EFC6[” 2?5 #6A] pD9=6J w:?D@?[ #\x@H2[ HC@E6 E92E “E:>6D 2C6 E@F89” 7@C 72C>6CD]k^Am
kAm~A6C2E:@?2= 4@DED 92G6 32==@@?65 7@C 72C>6CD D:?46 E96 @?8@:?8 &]$]\xC2? 4@?7=:4E 3682? :? y2?F2CJ] s:DCFAE:@?D :? E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK[ 2 >2;@C EC256 4@CC:5@C 7@C @:= 2?5 76CE:=:K6C 4@>A@F?5D[ 92G6 DA:<65 4@DED 7@C 3@E9 76CE:=:K6C 2?5 7F6=]k^Am
kAm~? 2G6C286[ 5:6D6= AC:46D 92G6 C:D6? cdT D:?46 E96 4@?7=:4E 3682? 2?5 76CE:=:K6C AC:46D 2C6 FA `dT 7C@> =2DE J62C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 $6AE6>36C kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]73]@C8^:?E6=^>2C<6ED^9@C>FK\AC:46\D9@4<D\@FEA246\9:896C\4C@A\AC:46DQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2?2=JD:Dk^2mk^DEC@?8m 7C@> E96 p>6C:42? u2C> qFC62F u656C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%@E2= 72C> 563E :D AC@;64E65 E@ 3C62< C64@C5D :? a_ae[ C6249:?8 C@F89=J Sead 3:==:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6’D “&]$] 72C> D64E@C 7:?2?4:2= :?5:42E@CD” kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6CD]FD52]8@G^52E2\AC@5F4ED^72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4D^52E2\7:=6D\FD\2?5\DE2E6\=6G6=\72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4DQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC6A@CEk^2mk^DEC@?8m[ H9:=6 E@E2= AC@5F4E:@? 4@DED 2C6 AC@;64E65 E@ E@A kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6CD]FD52]8@G^52E2\AC@5F4ED^72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4D^52E2\7:=6D\FD\2?5\DE2E6\=6G6=\72C>\:?4@>6\2?5\H62=E9\DE2E:DE:4DQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmScfg 3:==:@?k^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
