By Andi Anderson
The House of Representatives passed a temporary funding bill on Tuesday to avert a government shutdown and provide a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. The measure passed by a vote of 336-95.
The 2018 Farm Bill was set to expire on October 1, 2023, but lawmakers have been unable to agree on a new five-year bill. The extension will provide farmers with some certainty as they plan for the 2024 planting season.
"While we still want Congress to focus on a five-year farm bill, this is a good sign," said John Kran, national legislative counsel for Michigan Farm Bureau. "We only had so many days left in the calendar, and farmers need long-term certainty."
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who serves on the U.S. House Ag Committee, said that everyone agrees that the Farm Bill is important and that no one wants it to fall off a cliff. She said that she wants to get a farm bill done as soon as possible because it is important to farmers.
Lawmakers have until the end of 2024 to pass a farm bill, but leaders of the House and Senate Ag committees insist that they are committed to passing the bill as soon as possible.
Kran said that there needs to be a sense of urgency to get the farm bill done. He said that farmers' livelihoods depend on the Farm Bill and that lawmakers need to work together to get it done as soon as possible.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-frankvandenbergh
Categories: Michigan, Government & Policy