Little Hope in Passage of Farm Bill Before Tomorrow's Deadline

Friday, September 29th, 2023 -- 10:01 AM

(By Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) The Sept. 30 expiration date is fast approaching for the farm bill, which funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and a wide range of agriculture and conservation programs.

But, according to Hope Kirwan with Wisconsin Public Radio, many federal lawmakers and Wisconsin farm groups say it's unlikely a new version of the legislation, which is passed about every five years, will be close to being finalized this month.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan recently told Wisconsin Public Radio's "The Morning Show" that a draft of the farm bill has not been introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.

He said it's possible to still see something released before the end of the month, especially in the Senate. But he said he's less hopeful about its prospects in the House. "I just don't see that happening in the House anyway," Pocan said during the Sept.12 interview. "I think, hopefully, the more extreme elements of the Republican caucus will allow some sort of a continuing resolution, so we have more time to get it done."

The delay is unsurprising to many Wisconsin farm groups, who have been lobbying members of Congress about the legislation for months. "It's probably not a surprise that in general, just overall politics in Congress, specifically in the House, are just taking up a lot of oxygen in the room," said Karen Gefvert, director of government affairs for the Dairy Business Association.

Gefvert said the farm bill has historically prompted bipartisan cooperation, with both rural and urban lawmakers invested in SNAP funding, which makes up around 80 percent of total funding. But she said the situation in Washington has been different during this farm bill process.

"We see greater politics playing a larger and larger role as far as how Congress operates, and with thin margins between the parties at the moment, that is just becoming increasingly more difficult," she said.

If Congress provides appropriations for SNAP, that program would continue even if the farm bill expires, according to a Congressional Research Report.

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