Let?s take a pause from talking about the Resignation of Scott Pruitt and the tariffs for a minute. We cannot forget about the looming conference committee on the 2018 Farm Bill. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley had some comments about what is yet to come for the legislation.
The Farm Bill is right now in two very different versions. The House version looks to make a total reform of work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This is a plan which has the support of President Trump. However, the Senate bill has none of those, and the inclusion of such measures has no chance of passing the upper chamber.
Senator Grassley says if the House refuses to drop those work requirements, there will be no agreement and the 2014 Farm Bill will have to be extended, and he doesn?t want to see that.
Senator Grassley expects the White House to push hard for the work requirements. However, at the end of the day, Grassley says President Trump will only have two choices and neither of them will include a Farm Bill with an overhaul of work requirements.
This is just the beginning of a negotiation that could wrangle for several weeks. To come this close to a new Farm Bill and not have it pass, is something which farmers do not need in this already unstable time.
There is no timetable for a conference committee between the chambers to meet.
