New York state legislators and agricultural officials are attacking inactivity and gridlock in Washington, condemning congressional leaders for their refusal to pass a new farm bill.

The current farm bill is set to expire is less than two months. At the end of September, current farm legislation expires and, if not replaced by a new farm bill or renewed for an additional year, automatic crop regulations from the 1940s will go into effect, crippling farm production and costing the federal government billions of dollars.

While the Senate has passed their version of the farm bill and the House Agriculture Committee passed a farm bill draft back in July, the House leadership has refused to bring the bill to a floor vote. Speaker of the House John Boehner has hinted that he lacks the votes needed to pass a new bill while other Republicans have announced a preference to wait until after the election to pass a trillion dollar spending bill.

New York legislators are joining a chorus of American voices criticizing Congress’s inactivity. According to Darrel Aubertine, the commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, “I think without question we’re all disappointed. For the state, there’s a lot riding on the farm bill.” State legislators, even Republicans, are equally disappointed with many reporting that their farm constituents are fed up with Washington politics.

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer