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House to take up farm bill by this afternoon

-The Hagstrom Report

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., late Tuesday listed the conference report of the farm bill on the schedule of legislation to be considered today.

McCarthy also noted that the first votes in the House are expected between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. and the last votes are expected between 4 and 5 p.m. McCarthy put the farm bill conference report at the bottom of the daily schedule, following a postponed suspension vote and two other bills that will be considered under suspension of the rules.

The House Rules Committee sent the bill to the House floor by voice vote in a meeting Tuesday evening, Politico reported. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., urged Republican House members to vote for it. House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., has said repeatedly that it will get a strong vote from House Democrats.



The House vote will occur after the Senate passed the bill Tuesday by a vote of 87 to 13. The senators voting against the bill were all Republicans.

Assuming Congress passes the bill, President Donald Trump is expected to sign it.



On Tuesday, during his meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Trump said, “We think the farm bill is in very good shape. A lot of good things are happening with it, and our farmers are well taken care of.”

He added, “That will be quite bipartisan, and it will happen pretty soon.”

The 2014 farm bill expired on Sept. 30. Commodity programs expire according to crop years. The first commodity program to expire is the dairy program on Dec. 31, and it is important for Congress and Trump to finish the bill by the end of the year to avoid antiquated dairy programs from the 1930s going into effect, leading to an increase in the price of milk.

Peterson has said one of the best provisions in the new farm bill is a new dairy program.


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