Last week, a crowd gathered at Capitol Hill during a Farm Bill Now rally to put pressure on House leaders to pass a five-year bill. But so far, the Farm Bill is still in limbo as the House prepares to end its session this Friday. The House will be on hiatus until after election week. A version of the Farm Bill that was approved by the Senate this summer has not yet been scheduled for a House vote, making passage unlikely before current law expires Sept. 30.

According to CNN, House GOP leaders haven't taken up the bill because conservatives in their caucus oppose various aspects of the measure, including the amount spent on federal nutrition programs such as food stamps.

"Conservatives want to wait until after the election – in which they hope to win control of the Senate and the White House and be in a better position to tailor the bill to their liking," wrote CNN senior congressional producer Ted Barrett.

One of the programs that expires at the end of the month is the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC).

House Republicans have pushed for a short-term extension of current law that would extend MILC to Dec. 1.

Many Democrats oppose an extension, saying that action on a five-year Farm Bill – or even its expiration – is preferable to a band-aid such as the three-month extension. PD

—Compiled from CNN, The Daily Republic and Politico