Don't look for the farm bill 2012 on next week's House floor calendar
Don't look for the farm bill 2012 on next week's House floor calendar
WASHINGTON — The House Republican leadership has decided not to include the 2012 farm bill on next week's calendar for floor debate, leaving only four days for the House to take up the bill before its August recess.
Frustration is growing among lawmakers and farm-friendly lobbyists who are trying to pressure the fiscally conservative House leadership to take up the five-year farm policy legislation before the program expires Sept. 30, 2012. The Senate approved the bill last month, followed by the House Agriculture Committee vote July 12.
But the bill has raised the ire of polarized lawmakers who either oppose the price tag and farm support programs or the cuts to the food stamp program.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters July 19 that no decision had been made on whether to bring the bill to a floor vote.
Still, the latest calendar posting prompted outrage by the House Agriculture Committee's top Democrat.
"There is no excuse not to bring the farm bill to the floor," said Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN). "We've wasted the last two weeks on political messaging bills that are going nowhere.
"The House Agriculture Committee passed a strong, bipartisan farm bill and we need to continue moving forward so we can resolve our differences with the Senate and get a bill to the President's desk before the current bill expires September 30," he said. "I remain hopeful we'll find a way to finish our work, but time is running out."
The House has four more days to vote on legislation after next week, as it is scheduled to break for August recess and political conventions starting Aug. 6 and not return to Capitol Hill until Sept. 10.
With time running out, U.S. Reps. Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Peter Welch (D-VT) led a bipartisan group of 62 House members in a letter to leadership urging a vote for H.R. 6083 before August.
"The message from our constituents and rural America is clear: We need a farm bill now," said the letter signed by 38 Republicans and 24 Democrats.
Other options may be in store for the 2012 farm bill to pass legislation during an election season.
Congress could end up passing temporary extensions of 2008 farm bill and/or the House and Senate Agriculture Committees could work on a compromise measure and attach it to another piece of legislation moving through Congress.
