A bipartisan coalition of about 62 representatives is pushing for the rapid passage of the 2012 Farm Bill. They hope that passing the bill before the House’s August recess will give the House and Senate the time they need to reconcile the two bills and pass new legislation before the current bill expires in September.

Leading the charge are Representative Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont), both of whom represent states with major agricultural interests. Both representatives and their allies in the House are adding more pressure to Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who have refused to commit to placing the bill on the House agenda.

A coalition of about 38 Republicans and 24 Democrats have signed a letter addressed to the leadership on both sides of the aisle (including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer in the blanket letter of concern).

The letter states, in part, “The House Agriculture Committee has done its work and we now ask that you make time on the floor of the House to consider this legislation, so that it can be debated, conferenced, and ultimately passed into law, before the current bill expires. We need to continue to tell the American success story of agriculture and work to ensure we have strong policies in place so that producers can continue to provide an abundant, affordable and safe food supply.”

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer