Vilsack Cites Funding Challenges as Primary Farm Bill Impasse

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shared the primary issues preventing Congress from getting a farm bill passed. He says the next farm bill needs to prioritize a boost for reference prices, expand crop insurance and provide more efficient disaster aid to producers. Vilsack shared Monday that Congress “needs to keep looking for creative ways” to move the farm bill forward.

Proposals surrounding nutrition continue to impede the process, as is the debate around conservation funding. These issues won’t lead to a strong bipartisan vote, according to Vilsack. As lawmakers argue where to pull funding from the nutrition component, Vilsack says they must find a way to provide funding without “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is an option that Vilsack has proposed to deal with funding concerns, particularly when it comes to a safety net for farmers.