The U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee completed its markup of the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2024, more commonly known as the farm bill, on May 24, and passed the proposed legislation by a vote of 33-21. However, though the farm bill has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, many pundits and members of Congress expect the Democrat-controlled Senate to put forth a very different piece of the $1.5 trillion legislation than any that might pass on the floor of the Republican-led House.
House ag leaders are working on a version of the bill that is expected to spend less on future low-income food assistance and more on large-scale commodity production, while the Senate appears to be mulling proposals to do just the opposite.
A new farm bill is typically passed every five years. The comprehensive package is the federal government’s biggest tool in helping ensure the U.S. food supply remains secure. The previous one was passed before the COVID-19 pandemic snarled supply chains and caused massive inflation, before the war between agricultural giants Russia and Ukraine began, before the price of farmland skyrocketed and before the Biden administration passed climate policy that heavily impacts agricultural producers. So passage of a new farm bill is clearly a priority for both Congress and the industry.
Among the most prominent features of the farm bill are risk management tools for farmers and ranchers, nutrition funding for low-income families, agricultural research and conservation programs. The current legislation, which was passed in 2018 and received an eleventh-hour, one-year extension last fall, is set to expire at the end of the 2024 fiscal year on Sept. 30.
The full 2024 Farm Bill is likely months away from becoming law. A packed congressional calendar and the upcoming election present a significant time crunch to getting the sweeping legislation through both chambers of Congress. Some lawmakers have said the probable outcome is a stalemate that would force a temporary extension of current policies. Should that come to pass, the onus would likely fall on a lame-duck Congress to pass farm bill legislation between the November election and the end of the congressional session on Jan. 3.
However, legislators and ag groups alike remain cautiously optimistic the new bill will be passed before the September deadline. As of June 10, the committee-approved farm bill has not been presented on either the Senate or House floor.
