Agricultural News
Full and Complete 2012 Farm Bill Via the Super Committee Route is Possible- So Says House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas
Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:34:50 CDT
A complete 2012 Farm Bill could land under the protection of the so called Super Committee in Washington- if the leaders of the House and Senate Ag Committees can come together on key elements of how to pay for $23 billion in budget savings from agricultural programs that would contribute to the $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction that the Super Committee is charged with finding. The Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Frank Lucas, told Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays that "it's possible" when asked if a full farm bill could be delivered to the Super Committee as the policy plan that would result in the savings earlier promised by the Ag Leadership.
Lucas says that he believes that the Agriculture Committees may be the only Committees on Capitol Hill where Republicans and Democrats are working together on a plan to provide the Super Committee with details of actual cuts and how they will be achieved in policy.
Congressman Lucas walked us through the process to this point with comments on the Commodity and Conservation titles- and indicated that the window of opportunity is very tight- and that legislative language would have to be in place by "early November."
Lucas also promised that if something tangible comes from the four Ag Committee leaders, the other members of his Committee will have a chance to review it- adding he is talking daily with House Ag Committee members about where the process is to this point.
Lucas does caution that they are not close to a deal as of yet- and it would not be surprising they end up writing a 2012 Farm Bill under more normal conditions in "regular order" in 2012. However, the opportuity to lock in the baseline for agriculture over the next five years or longer is very appealing to the House Ag Committee Chairman- and it's clear from the conversation we had with him- that would be the best possible outcome.
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear the full conversation- it offers a lot of insight into how the effort to end the 2012 Farm Bill process in a matter of days is unfolding.
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