8-14 IAN Farm Bill

 Farm groups and policymakers including the folks at the Idaho Farm Bureau are greatly disappointed by the fact that Congress has elected not to vote on the farm bill before their break. I had a chat with Jake Putnam regarding the fact that House Republican leadership has decided to not move forward with the House Agriculture Committee’s bill before adjourning for the August recess.  “ Jake it seems like there are dragging of heels on this farm bill, is that the way you see it? That is exactly what has happened. In the summer it gets hot and things slow down.The American Farm Bureau Federation and a coalition of organizations representing U.S. agriculture sent a statement to members of Congress last week expressing disappointment that House Republican leadership has decided to not move forward with the House Agriculture Committee’s bill before adjourning for the August recess. That leaves us in the agricultural community biting our nails and we really can’t make plans. It puts us in a lurch because just after we get through with harvest we have to start right back into the planning period and if we don’t have a farm bill, or at least parts of the farm bill on line that we can look at then it makes it really difficult for us to figure out what we are going to do in the coming months just to get set up for next year.”