With far-reaching food and farm legislation stuck in limbo thanks to gridlock in Congress, local farmers are getting frustrated. The 2018 Farm Bill is an omnibus piece of legislation that sets policy for agriculture initiatives, conservation and nutrition programs. It is intended to be renewed every five years and was on Congress’ docket last year, but partisan and inter-party debates over federal spending resulted in a year-long extension of the legislation.
On Monday, that year-long extension came and went without resolution, and the 2018 Farm Bill expired. “I don’t see (Congress) getting it put together this year. It’s frustrating to see the lack of bipartisanship to get something so vital passed.
Everyone is affected by agriculture every day, and we need to get it fixed,” Maquoketa, Iowa, farmer Joe Heinrich said. The legislation includes a swath of financial support programs for farmers, conservation programs and funding for the nation’s primary nutrition programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Despite the expiration, key programs including SNAP and crop insurance are still functioning at least through the end of the year.
Heinrich noted that crop insurance programs are among the most important pieces of the bill to local farmers because they protect producers against major losses in crop revenue or yields. U.S.
House Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, noted in a press release last week that she led an effort to push House GOP leadership.