Robert Velazquez is a law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and a guest contributor to this blog.
Between the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate there are 535 voting members who determine the future and scope of a farm bill. Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), recently remarked at the challenge and opportunity of having so many new members of Congress and many who were not involved in the 2018 Farm Bill. Duvall noted that there are 260 members of Congress “who may not understand the importance of farm bill programs,” Duval said, highlighting the opportunity to educate newer members of Congress on why farmers need a farm bill in 2023. One key to this education effort, Duvall said, is to keep “farm policy unified with nutrition policy.” Although AFBF and FBLE are not in agreement on all farm bill priorities, FBLE also supports a bipartisan farm bill process that results in a bill that fosters both farm viability and improved nutrition policy.
With Republicans taking control of the House after two years of Democratic control, the future of a farm bill seems unclear, however there appears to be some common ground to get a robust farm bill passed in 2023. Both chambers of Congress are in a unique position with razor thin majorities that will require building a consensus if they wish to have a bill become law. Before considering what the future of a farm bill looks like, we can look to recent bills and hearings to find common ground among legislators on Capitol Hill.
In 2022, Congress worked together to pass two major pieces of legislation, the Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Both pieces of legislation mark a notable change in the way Congress approaches the issue of climate change by expanding support for climate-smart farm practices. With the GCSA, a diverse coalition of farm groups, environmental organizations, and large companies worked together to craft a legislative solution to reduce barriers to entry for the voluntary carbon marketplace. With bipartisan support, the IRA authorized $20 billion in funding for climate-smart agricultural practices. These legislative successes are evidence of Congress’ ability to come together and pass meaningful legislation that addresses the needs of farmers while also tackling threats posed by climate change.
In the Senate, Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Braun (R-IN) are keenly focused on addressing another threat to national security, diet-induced chronic illness. Both senators have stated that a main priority for the new Farm Bill should be to address the American obesity epidemic by expanding government subsidy programs like SNAP and GUS-NIP to increase access to healthy fruits and vegetables, to prevent and manage chronic disease. One of the FBLE’s recommendations for the farm bill is to “strengthen food assistance programs that promote healthy choices among SNAP participants.” While entitlement programs like SNAP are always a hot topic of debate, it may be possible to find support along the margins to advance this important healthcare goal.
With a razor thin majority in both chambers of Congress, agriculture, environment, and nutrition advocates, while lobbying for a new farm bill, will also need to educate this new congressional crop to get a farm bill passed in 2023.
The views and opinions expressed on the FBLE Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FBLE. While we review posts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee the reliability and completeness of any legal analysis presented; posts on this Blog do not constitute legal advice. If you discover an error, please reach out to contact@farmbilllaw.org.
