Farm Bill Conference Talks

Conferees on the farm bill understand the economic challenges facing farmers and want to get a farm bill done to provide certainty -- a popular word among them -- to farmers and rural America.

Leading lawmakers on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees met in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, committing to get a farm bill done by Sept. 30; however, many of the conferees had significant reservations about specific provisions or differences between the House and Senate bills.

"A sudden death in the family can unravel a family farm that's been running for generations," said Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-La. "And I support including nieces, nephews and cousins in the definition of actively engaged."

Multiple Republicans also said the farm bill should include the House language to repeal the 2015 Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineer rule from the Clean Water Act, which is known as waters of the U.S., or WOTUS. EPA has tried to withdraw the rule, but it remains in effect in roughly half the country because of court rulings.

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