The House Agriculture Committee is planning to markup its version of the 2024 Farm Bill next Thursday, May 23, 2024.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) recently released his detailed summaries of the Farm Bill, with significant funding moved from existing supplemental spending bills such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into the baseline funding numbers for various programs, mostly focused on the Conservation Title.
Thompson’s bill also includes provisions to double the funding of the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program. These two critical programs support export promotion for agricultural products in key markets.
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA) and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who is retiring at the end of this year, released the following statement after the publication of Chairman Thompson’s bill summary:
“House and Senate Democrats remain committed to passing a strong, bipartisan farm bill that strengthens the farm and family safety nets and invests in our rural communities. America’s farmers, families, workers, and rural communities deserve the certainty of a five-year farm bill, and everyone knows it must be bipartisan to pass. House Republicans are undermining this goal by proposing policies that split the broad, bipartisan coalition that has always been the foundation of a successful farm bill. We need a farm bill that holds the coalition together and upholds the historic tradition of providing food assistance to our most vulnerable Americans while keeping our commitment to farmers battling the effects of the climate crisis every day. Democrats remain ready and willing to work with Republicans on a truly bipartisan farm bill to keep farmers farming, families fed, and rural communities strong.”
Sen. Stabenow has not released the text of her version of the farm bill, nor has she scheduled a markup on the legislation. Ranking Member Scott has not released any text or summaries of his farm bill proposal.
Chairman Thompson’s Farm Bill proposal’s summaries can be found here. Chair Stabenow’s Farm Bill proposal’s summaries can be found here.
