With all the activity in Washington right now, passage of a new farm bill seems to have been pushed to the back burner, but not by NASDA. RJ Karney is Senior Director of Public Policy at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and says it’s still front and center for them and for ag leadership in Congress.

“I can tell you from the House and Senate leadership, ag committee leadership that I have spoken with, they are unified in seeing a farm bill get done here in 2025 the agricultural community fully supports that, and we’ll do everything in our power to make sure Congress can move one forward here in 2025 and not look for another extension.”

But there are political headwinds. Karney says the immediate one is keeping the government open.

“The federal government right now is operating under a continuing resolution that does expire and end on March 14. Congress will either have to fully fund and pass an omnibus bill, but it should include all 12 appropriation bills, or they may have to have another extension, and that’s going to be something Congress and the administration President Trump will have to discuss. But the time there is really winding down. Mark 14th is approaching rather quickly.”

Karney says another means to move farm initiatives forward is through reconciliation.

“We understand, since Republicans have control of both chambers of Congress and the White House, they’re looking to use a reconciliation bill to move some priorities forward. This is something that both parties have done in previous years, but a reconciliation bill takes a lot of legislative days to ultimately get one across the finish line. So that’s going to have to also be attributed and get done here in 2025 we need to see the how the House and Senate Republicans come together on what that path forward is going to be. They’re still underway with discussions in that space.”