House Ag Committee Chair Shares Farm Bill Funding Process Details

While U.S. farmers await word of farm bill progress as the September deadline draws nearer, House Ag Chairman G.T. Thompson shares the details and processes that go into the farm bill funding and implications.

This farm bill is slated to be the most expensive to date, to the tune of $1.5 trillion. But even so, according to Senate Ag Chairm Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) no new funding is going into the farm bill, meaning any program funding increases will have to be reallocated from other parts of the bill. Rep. Thompson says there are efficiencies that can bring some new dollars, such as incorporating some disaster relief dollars into crop insurance. Ultimately, Thompson says lawmakers are still listening to the results from USDA listening sessions across the country.

Read more on the process behind farm bill funding discussions here.