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Senate Names Farm Bill Conferees

Aug 02, 2018

This week, the Senate voted to move the farm bill to conference and named its conferees—AKA the committee members who will negotiate the differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill.

Who was appointed?

  • Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan.
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
  • Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.
  • Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
  • Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa
  • Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
  • Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
  • Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
  • Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.

What happens now?

The Conference Committee is composed of members of the U.S. House and Senate. Forty seven House conferees were announced in July. The next step is a public meeting of the Conference Committee, which is still TBD.

Main Obstacles?

According to Politico, consensus on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a major obstacle the conferees will hash out, along with differences on conservation and subsidies.

  • Click here to learn more about Senate version.
  • Click here to read the House version.

ASA’s Take: With soy growers facing tough economic times and uncertainty in trade, key programs in the farm bill, including crop insurance, farm support programs and export promotion funding for market development programs are even more critical. ASA urges Congressional leaders to pass a unified farm bill before the current bill expires at the end of September.