Advocacy groups express thoughts on House farm bill passage

Advocacy groups of all stripes have expressed their thoughts on the House’s narrow approval of its version of the 2018 farm bill. The vote was 213 to 211 in a re-vote of the same measure that failed in May.

Here’s a sampling of reactions. 

Liked it

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said passage was a big win for America’s farmers and acknowledged that Farm Bureau members clearly made their voices heard and that House members recognized the serious economic challenges facing U.S. farmers.

“As crafted by Chairman (Mike) Conaway, this bill recognizes what is working well, but it also makes much-needed improvements in risk management and crop insurance programs at a time when farm-income levels have slumped to decade lows,” Duvall said.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Kevin Kester said, “Today’s vote means that American cattlemen and women are one step closer to having the certainty they need to continue running their operations and contributing to rural economies.

“We are glad the House-passed bill addresses a number of priorities for producers, including authorization and funding for a national vaccine bank that prioritizes Foot-and-Mouth Disease prevention. The bill also strengthens conservation programs and improves USDA’s foreign market development activities.”

The National Pork Producers Council President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio, said, “Pork producers are pleased that the House approved its 2018 farm bill, but we need adequate funding in it to protect the livestock industry and the American economy.

“The United States is not prepared for an FMD outbreak, so we really need to have the full five-year mandatory funding,” said Heimerl. “We hope the Senate heeds our plea. We can’t afford the financial devastation this disease would wreak on farmers and the U.S. economy.”

National Corn Growers Association President Kevin Skunes, a North Dakota farmer, said, “The House farm bill maintains a robust crop insurance program, ensuring it continues to be a viable risk management tool for farmers across the country.

“Now we will be looking toward the U.S. Senate and possible efforts to further strengthen the farm safety net, making it more equitable for our nation’s corn growers, as they bring the Senate Agriculture Committee’s farm bill to the floor.”

National Association of Wheat Growers President Jimmie Musick said, “It’s vital for a final farm bill to be reauthorized before the Sept. 30 deadline, so that farmers can have access to these beneficial programs.”

Musick said NAWG would continue to advocate for a strong crop insurance program, continued choice between Agriculture Risk coverage and Price Loss Coverage, and financial incentives for farmers to adopt conservation practices into their operations in the final version of the bill.

“We also support continued reauthorization of the Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative and other important research programs. Additionally, NAWG is pleased that the legislation includes funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program.”

American Soybean Association President John Heisdorffer said, “Farmers need the long-term certainty and stability that passing a new five-year farm bill will provide. Right now, the economic future of our industry is clouded by low crop prices and farm income, and by volatility in foreign markets. We call on the Senate to follow suit and pass its version of the farm bill next week so Congress can complete the 2018 farm bill in July.”

Heisdorffer added that, “With key programs including crop insurance, farm support programs, and export promotion funding for market development programs on the table, ASA urges Congressional leaders to continue pushing forward for final approval.”

National Cotton Council Chairman Ron Craft, a Plains, Texas, ginner, said, “Without strong commodity and crop insurance policies underpinning U.S. agriculture, lenders would be reluctant to provide financing to an industry operating at the mercy of weather extremes and volatile global market prices.

“The NCC is continuing to work with the Senate to reverse the harmful changes made to cotton policy during last week’s Senate Agriculture Committee consideration of its farm bill.”

National Association of Conservation Districts President Brent Van Dyke said, “We applaud Chairman Conaway and members of the Ag Committee on navigating this bill through the House, and we look forward to working with both the House and Senate in a bipartisan fashion to advance locally-led conservation.”

Rob Nichols, American Bankers Association president and CEO, said, “This important legislation is crucial to the economic well being of our nation’s farmers and ranchers and the 2,000 farm banks who serve them every day.

“This farm bill will help ensure those banks will be able to continue to provide a broad array of financial services to the agricultural sector. We are particularly pleased that members recognized the vital role of programs like crop insurance and USDA loan guarantees. These programs help farm banks make loans and manage risk in both good times and bad, which is critical to maintaining a stable and vibrant farm economy.”

Independent Community Bankers of America President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said, “ICBA has urged Congress to maintain commodity price protections and a strong crop insurance program. ICBA also supports the bill’s increase for guaranteed farm loan limits to $1.75 million from $1.39 million, in addition to other important programs, and opposes granting the Farm Credit System new lending powers.”

Association of Equipment Manufacturers President Dennis Slater said, “Sound agricultural policy promotes a strong farm economy and a strong U.S. manufacturing sector. This includes 320,000 agricultural equipment-manufacturing jobs across America. That’s why we are glad to see the House of Representatives pass a farm bill that recognizes the importance of crop insurance to our overall economy.

”We also applaud the inclusion of the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018 as it will help prepare our farms and ranches for the 21st century. AEM encourages the Senate to act swiftly by passing their own version of the farm bill so we can provide America’s farmers and ranchers with a robust safety net.”

Didn’t like it

NFU President Roger Johnson said, “Farmers Union is disappointed by many components of the House’s version of the 2018 farm bill. We stand ready to work with members of Congress throughout the conference process to improve this legislation to meet the needs of family farmers and our food system.”

Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of Center for Food Safety, said, “This farm bill is an enormous wish-list for pesticide companies. By allowing it to pass, Congress is creating ever greater food insecurity among the nation’s most vulnerable populations and jeopardizing the health of our children, our communities and our environment.”

Among the most egregious impacts, the bill prohibits local governments from passing regulations that restrict pesticide use within their jurisdiction, he said, which he called undemocratic and it prevents communities from protecting their children’s health by limiting applications of toxic chemicals that impair child development.

“It now falls to the Senate to ensure that our farm policies promote healthy, safe foods,” Kimbrell said. “To allow the House language into the final bill would be devastating for public health and the environment.”

Food Policy Action Executive Director Monica Mills said, “This bill, from its inception through today’s passage, has been a hot mess for everyone except big-ag farm operations. The bill that passed today cuts SNAP benefits for hungry families and children, the protections that ensure poisons are kept out of the food on our plates, and funding for local and regional farm programs. House members made these cuts to create additional loopholes for wealthy corporate farmers. This is just plain wrong.”

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition said it was, “dismayed that House leadership has refused to engage in the thoughtful, bipartisan debate that has been the hallmark of all previous farm bills. Our nation’s farmers, families, and food-producing communities deserve better. They deserve a strong farm bill that can gain enough support in both the House and Senate to ensure passage of a final package before the expiration of the current farm bill.”

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, said, “Speaker (Paul) Ryan and House Republicans revealed their true colors by voting to take food off the tables of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers. H.R.2 cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for millions of people and creates a complex government bureaucracy to enforce punitive and unreasonable work requirements. It is shocking that the GOP would choose to undermine one of our most effective anti-poverty programs. This comes exactly six months after passing a tax overhaul that benefits the wealthiest in our nation. Our faith values tell us that no one deserves to go hungry, no matter a person’s circumstance.”

Anna Johnson, senior policy associate with the Center for Rural Affairs, said, “This bill undercuts rural communities in numerous and serious ways. By passing this bill, the House of Representatives is demonstrating limited vision and investment in rural communities.

 “In addition to the troubling cuts to working lands conservation, we are very concerned that this bill would roll back existing payment limits and create new loopholes for very large operations to exploit.”

Larry Dreiling can be reached at 785-628-1117 or [email protected].