On our latest Ag Perspectives Podcast, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, had the chance to catch up with Congressman Frank Lucas and talk about the 2023 Farm Bill. Lucas is the former Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and now serves as the current senior member of the House Agriculture Committee.
“We are moving from the hearing phase over to the drafting phase of the process,” Lucas said. “Chairman Thompson still believes it is possible to have a markup in September.”
Lucas suggests to his fellow farmers and ranchers to remember there was an extension on the 2008 Farm Bill and the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2018 bill did not have any extensions, he added, but it was still not completed until after September 30.
There are 28 legislative days between now and the 30th of September, Lucas said, so he is guessing there will be an extension. The final bill, he added, will most likely be completed around February or March of 2024.
Besides the deep dive that Hays and the Congressman have on the 2023 Farm Bill- they also discuss the Biden Administration’s response to the Supreme Court Ruling on WOTUS- Lucas saying that Congress may have to force the President to start over on their clean water rule as that seems to be what the Supreme Court was saying as they got rid of the significant nexus test that the Biden Rule is based upon. They also talk about legislation to tighten up foreign ownership of farmland, his work on the Science Committee to reauthorize the National Weather Service and his support of the AM in Every Vehicle Bill that he has co-sponsored.
Click on the Listen Bar above to hear the complete conversation with Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas.
