WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) named U.S. Senate conferees for the Farm Bill. The announcement was made immediately following the Senate’s approval of four of their twelve Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations bills, which included agriculture and related funding. A total of nine senators, five Republicans and four Democrats, received appointments to the committee:
Senate Agriculture Committee
Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
The Senate made the procedural move to go to conference this past Tuesday, which now officially leads to House and Senate negotiations on conference report that will have to again be considered by both chambers. Last week, the House named 47 conferees, 29 Republicans, and 18 Democrats (see
USA Rice Daily, July 23, 2018).
“USA Rice is pleased that with the naming of conferees, the conference process can now formally begin,” said Joe Mencer, Arkansas rice farmer and chairman of the USA Rice Farmers. “With the appointment of Representatives Rick Crawford (R-AR), Ralph Abraham (R-LA), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and Senator Boozman to the Farm Bill conference committee, the U.S. rice industry has exceptional champions who will strongly advocate for our industry as these negotiations proceed.”
The 2014 Farm Bill expires on Sept. 30, leaving 11 legislative days with both the House and Senate in session to agree a conference report in both chambers and get a bill to President Trump’s desk without having to pass an extension.