Leaders of the House and Senate Ag committees faced some criticism while trying to craft a farm bill for the Super Committee because of their behind-the-scenes negotiations. Since the Super Committee missed its deadline for negotiating a deficit reduction plan, the farm bill may now be debated under regular order next year.
On Thursday, House Ag Committee ranking member Colin Peterson spoke to a joint meeting of American Crystal Sugar and the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association through a video link from Washington, D.C. Peterson defended agriculture’s efforts to address the nation’s budget deficit.
Although the situation is still very fluid, Peterson says work on the farm bill could resume in early February.
Peterson says the goal would be to complete work on the farm bill by May – and the sooner – the better. Peterson is concerned that politics will muddy the process ahead of the November elections.
