Addressing the Oklahoma Farm Bureau during a record-setting government shutdown, Congresswoman Stephanie Bice outlined a potential path forward to reopen the government and detailed the timeline for the upcoming Farm Bill at the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Meeting.
(Editor’s note: This interview was conducted on Friday. Last night the Senate voted 60-40 to advance a House‐passed bill that will be amended to combine the short-term funding measure with a package of three full-year appropriations bills.” Following Senate action, the bill still needs to go back to the House for final approval (and then to the President for signature) before the government is fully reopened.)
Speaking with Farm Director KC Sheperd, Bice called the situation untenable. “This is not good for the country,” she said. “We need to get over this hurdle, get the government back open and back to business.”
Here are the key updates Bice provided to Farm Bureau members.
The Plan to End the Shutdown
The immediate priority is ending the shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history. Bice explained that the House is currently negotiating a package with the Senate.
The proposed solution includes:
- A Three-Bill Package: Passing three specific appropriations bills:
- Agriculture: To fully fund the USDA, SNAP benefits, and other provisions.
- MilCon-VA: To fund military construction and Veterans Affairs.
- Legislative Branch: To pay Capitol staff and federal employees.
- A Continuing Resolution (CR): This would fund the remaining nine government-funding bills through a new January deadline, allowing negotiations to continue without a shutdown.
“We can’t do any of that right now,” Bice stressed, emphasizing that passing this package is the only way to “open government back up” and allow Congress to resume normal policy negotiations.
Farm Bill Slated for February
For producers anxiously awaiting a new Farm Bill, Bice provided a target timeline.
She noted that many policy provisions that couldn’t be included in the reconciliation bill due to revenue impacts are still included in the Farm Bill draft.
“We’re hopeful that we can get a farm bill out of the committee in December,” Bice stated, “and then hopefully put it on the House floor in February, at least that’s the goal.”
Shutdown Fatigue and Town Hall Feedback
Through recent telephone town halls, Bice said the overwhelming sentiment from Oklahomans is frustration.
“People are tired,” she said. “You have a slew of federal employees, including my own staff and myself, who are not getting paid. We need to get our TSA agents, our USDA employees, paid and back on the job, because it’s beginning to affect the economy.”
On Other Key Issues:
- Healthcare Costs: Drawing from her personal ties to the medical field, Bice argued against extending “COVID-era” premium subsidies. “I think we have to have a deep dive into why we’re seeing the huge increases in premiums and overall cost of health care, and figure out how to lower that… It’s not something you do overnight.”
- Daylight Saving Time: Bice explained why the “Sunshine Protection Act” to standardize time has stalled. She described it as a “regional fight,” noting that in northern states, staying on daylight saving time would result in sunrises as late as 9 a.m., creating problems for schools.
Despite the shutdown, Bice assured constituents that her office remains active. “My office is still open. My staff is still working, even though they have not been paid… to try to make sure that our constituents’ voices are being heard.”
