On Tuesday, Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) unveiled his long-anticipated Farm Bill framework.
The Farm Bill, legislation was due for reauthorization last year, got a year-long extension through September 2024. It covers commodities, forestry, conservation, nutrition, and rural development. The House Agriculture Chairman Glenn (GT) Thompson unveiled the House framework several weeks ago.
“From the onset of this process, we have sought to draft a farm bill that reflects the needs of stakeholders. The world has changed dramatically since the 2018 bill became law, and the unprecedented challenges and economic uncertainty that farmers face now are only projected to get worse in the coming years,” Boozman said in a statement. “This is why producers have been calling on senators to put more farms in the farm bill.”
Key priorities in the Senate Republican framework, which borrows largely from the House’s, include modernizing the “farm safety net,” boosting rural and broadband services, expanding popular conservation programs, and “empowering” the next generation of farmers.