The markup for House Ag Committee Chair GT Thompson’s farm bill will move ahead on Thursday despite scores from the Congressional Budget Office that raise questions. The CBO says the scores provided don’t amount to offsets that would allow the bill to be budget-neutral. That term means it wouldn’t cost more than the current spending level. The Fence Post says Thompson believes the committee should still go through the process even though the bill isn’t fully offset. One of Thompson’s aides pointed out that the CBO won’t provide a formal score until after the committee votes on the bill and moves it to the House floor for action. It’s also important to move on the bill because it’s being considered under the May 2023 budget baseline. CBO will revise the baseline in June, meaning the entire bill would have to get rewritten under the new baseline, which could take months.
Thompson proceeding with House farm bill markup
