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Farm bill whip coming down to the wire
Story Date: 5/10/2018
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Source: POLITICO MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/9/18
House Republicans are heading into the final days to decide whether to support the current version of the farm bill. House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway said Tuesday that Republican lawmakers have enough information about the proposed legislation to make up their minds, and he's willing to make changes to the bill to win over their support. Conaway has been eyeing bring the bill to the floor next week.
"I am not naive or arrogant enough to believe that the bill that I got out of committee the other day is what the president is going to sign," Conaway said when speaking at the American Enterprise Institute. "It always changes, there are always modifications, always things we can do better, things that we could do the same but do it in a way that gets somebody to vote yes. All of that horse trading is in front of us, and I'm looking forward to making that happen."
Conaway said he was meeting with "splinter groups" ahead of a vote whip expected to take place as soon as Wednesday. The Texas Republican also has plans to make a trip this week to the White House to sell the farm bill to President Donald Trump. Senate Ag Chairman Pat Roberts told reporters that he'll be in attendance along with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow.
'Classic' GOP amendments coming: Meanwhile, Rep. Frank Lucas said Tuesday to expect some "classic" Republican amendments during floor debate, but probably none from Democrats. Conaway's version of the bill will draw GOP amendments on "everything from payment limitations to crop insurance to sugar," Lucas, the former chairman of the panel, told reporters.
Rep. Mark Meadows, chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, said his members plan to introduce several amendments as well.
Let's get it moving: Lucas underscored the need for the bill to pass Congress before the current law expires on Sept. 30 because of the chronically low commodity prices. "There's growing pressure out in the countryside for the commodity safety net to still be there after the last day of September," the Oklahoma Republican said.
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