WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Farm Bill is back on the legislative stage with the 2012 elections over, though its passage may still be off on the horizon, IPM Voice says in its most recent newsletter.
IPM Voice reports:
The 2012 Farm Bill, which was held up in Congress before the November elections, is back on center stage. The Democratic-led Senate has already passed its version of the farm bill, but Republican House leaders stopped action on the bill before the election, saying there weren't enough votes. Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has stated that she is prepared to merge the House and Senate versions, but Doug Heye, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, said no decisions have been made on how to move the farm bill.
Meanwhile, Croplife.com reports that the Farm bill may have close ties to the impending "fiscal cliff," over which Congress will be grappling in the coming month.
"Debate is occurring over both the form and cost of the farm safety net, as well as whether the safety net should be delivered through private agents, (for example via) crop insurance, or via government agencies (such as) the Farm Service Agency," said Carl Zulauf, a professor of agriculture, environmental and developmental economics at The Ohio State University.
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