Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the Senate Ag Committee, unveiled the Senate Republican-drafted framework answering the call for a “farmer-focused” farm bill.
“From the onset of this process, we have sought to draft a farm bill that reflects the needs of stakeholders,” Boozman said. “The world has changed dramatically since the 2018 bill became law, and the unprecedented challenges and economic uncertainty that farmers now face are only projected to get worse in the coming years.”
The Senate Republican Committee members say the framework modernizes the safety net, facilitating the expansion of access to overseas markets, fosters breakthroughs in agricultural research, and grows the rural communities that farmers, ranchers, and foresters call home. They also say it does all that while making historic investments in conservation and protecting nutrition programs.
Several key agricultural groups and stakeholders responded to the proposal. Gregg Doud, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, calls it a strong framework that marks another important step in enacting a farm bill. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association also reacted positively to the framework, noting that it’s a farm bill framework that cattle producers can proudly support.
National Sorghum Producers Chair Craig Meeker says his group calls it a forward-thinking farm bill, and it’s put together to meet the ever-evolving needs of America’s hardworking farmers and ranchers.
Democratic reaction to the Republican framework was less supportive. “By copying the approach taken by House Ag Committee Republicans, the Senate Ag minority has chosen to ignore Democratic warnings by putting forth policies, especially on nutrition, that the Democrats cannot and will not accept,” said House Ag Committee Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA).