The House Agriculture Committee has passed their version of the next five-year farm bill.

Former House Agriculture Committee Chair and current member of the Committee Frank Lucas commented on the farm bill process recently.

Lucas stated there is no need to rewrite the entire farm bill.

“We did that in ’14 when I was Chairman. We modified and improved in ’18, and now it is time to do that process again. By looking at the commodity title, conservation and development, and all of those sections, I think the Chairman has done an exceptional job, and I think we will be pleased with what we see.” 

Lucas says the controversial part of the bill will most likely be the nutrition title, as this title is usually the main priority of Democrats in the committee.

“When the Biden Administration first came in, they had a Democrat majority in the House and Senate,” Lucas said. “Their goal was to spend money, not just in conservation but across the entire gamut of the Federal Government. The allocated moneys that could not be spent in a timely or orderly fashion. In this Farm Bill, we are going to reallocate those dollars to existing programs like EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) that have demonstrated themselves time and time again. That will create some controversy amongst the Democrats on the committee, but hey, why reinvent the wheel when the wheel works, just make sure that its properly greased, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
 

Regarding the Biden Administration’s passion for social justice and environmental justice, Lucas said the next Farm Bill will focus more on conservation and less on climate change protocols. Now, Lucas said the priority is getting voluntary, incentive-based efforts across the finish line.