Congressional Leaders a No-Show to Farm Bill Discussions

Five farm groups – including American Farm Bureau and American Soybean Association – invited House GOP and Democratic Leaders to meet about getting a last-minute farm bill. AFBF Deputy Director Dale Moore says only one showed up…

“So far the only taker has been Mr. Hoyer, but we know this is a very busy time for leadership and we are just trying to get our word out there however we can.”

Steny Hoyer is the number two House Democrat and told House GOP Leader Eric Cantor just before meeting with farm leaders…

“I would hope the farm bill could be moved. I will be talking to some of my ag community today and they are very hopeful that there is not a stop-gap but a farm bill of sufficient length. We need to pass that or milk prices will spike dramatically.”

Hoyer said the farm groups were urging that House Leaders put the Senate-passed farm bill on the House floor. But Cantor won’t even put the House Committee-passed version on the floor – saying only they will deal with the issue in and around the farm bill before leaving this year and repeating there aren’t enough votes to pass the House bill. Moore says it may now take divine intervention to get a five-year farm bill done.

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