Can't Kick the Can

Can’t Kick the Can

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

Last week Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke at the Commodity Classic in Nashville. During his press conference, he shared that although there hasn’t been much movement on this year’s Farm Bill yet, he anticipates results.

Vilsack: “This year is not going to end without some action. If they can’t get agreement on a Farm Bill, they will have to extend all or portions of the 2008 Farm Bill. But kicking the can down the road, doesn’t make it any easier. In the old days, you could kick the can down the road in hopes that you would have different leadership or the budget would be better. The budget isn’t going to get any better. The budget is going to be tough. They are going to be hard. And 2013 isn’t going to be any easier -- probably more difficult than 2012. Especially if they can’t get their act together with these discretionary spending cuts and sequester comes into play ... Boom across the board. That is a horrible way to do things because you can’t set priorities that way. So there is a lot of work they have to do.”

He says that the both the Senate and the House Ag Committees have the the bi-partisanship needed as well as the commitment to doing the hard work to move it forward this year.

Vilsack: “I started the year not being particularly hopeful but am seeing action from both chairs. They are providing leadership. They are moving the process. Senator Stabenow is accelerating the process so that leads me to believe that they want to get this done and if they want to get it done, they can get it done.”

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.