The 2012 Farm Bill, which has been written off as a dead letter in 2012 by many policy experts, may still have a chance at passing, according to Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley.
For the past several months, the 2012 Farm Bill has been stalled in Washington due to congressional gridlock. While the Senate passed a version of the bill in May, and the House Agriculture Committee passed a draft in July, the full House has refused to vote on the measure, preferring to wait until after the 2012 election.
With the election season finally ending, however, major budget debates like the fiscal cliff appear to be consuming congressional attention in the lame duck session, leaving little time for farm policy.
Senator Grassley, however, believes that passing a new farm bill is still possible. He and Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow have both issues public statements encouraging the House to work on passing the bipartisan Senate bill.
“Americans could not be more clear that now that the election is over, they want us to work together to create jobs and reduce the deficit. If Congress can work together to pass the Farm Bill, it will create the trust and momentum we need to overcome gridlock and solve the challenges our country faces,” Grassley said. “Passing a bipartisan Farm Bill that reduces the deficit by $23 billion is a significant first step in meeting the critical deficit reduction challenges our country must face head-on this year.”
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer