Boozman releases GOP farm bill discussion draft
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., has just released the text of the GOP farm bill discussion draft and a summary of it.
Boozman is scheduled to speak about the bill on the Senate floor at 4:25 p.m. today, a committee spokesperson said.
The bill is similar to the one the House passed recently. But it excludes the measure in the House bill that would negate California Proposition 12, which requires pork sold in the state to come from animals raised under certain conditions.It also excludes a proposed pesticide labeling measure that would protect farm chemicals from state labeling laws declaring the chemicals dangerous. The original House bill contained such a measure, but a majority of House members voted for an amendment that removed it from the bill.
The bill does not address concerns about a current law that would ban intoxicating hemp products, including those containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container, or unnatural or synthetic cannabinoids, starting in November.
The bill also does not include the provision in the House bill that would allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries to buy rotisserie chicken with their benefits. Current law does not allow SNAP benefits to be used to buy hot foods.
It also does not address Democrats’ demands that the bill change the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) provision requiring states with a SNAP payment rate higher than 6% to pay a share of SNAP’s cost. The OBBBA gives states with an error rate of 15% or higher more time to comply with the law, and Democrats have said all the states should be given more time to comply.
The bill also does not address the year-round nationwide sale of E15, a fuel blend that would use more ethanol, or provide another round of financial aid to farmers who are caught between low commodity prices, higher input costs and the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on products from other countries that have resulted in retaliation against U.S. farm products.
Boozman excluded these proposals because he wanted to propose a bill that could garner 60 votes on the Senate floor and be enacted into law, a Senate Agriculture Committee aide told reporters today. The aide added that senators will be free to offer amendments to address those issues, but if they do that in the committee markup “it would preclude us from moving forward” to the Senate floor, the aide said.”If we can’t get to conference [with the House], we can’t help people do anything,” the aide added.Boozman hopes to hold a markup on the bill after the Senate returns from a two-week July 4 recess and before the August break, the aide said.
“Our preference is to do a bipartisan markup,” the aide said.The OBBBA provided more money for basic commodity subsidies, crop insurance and other programs while cutting the budget for SNAP by making it harder to qualify for the program. Boozman has estimated that the OBBBA covered 85% of the farm bill. Aides did not have an estimate of the cost of this farm bill, but said it is budget-neutral.
The bill does not address concerns about a current law that would ban intoxicating hemp products, including those containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container, or unnatural or synthetic cannabinoids, starting in November.
The bill also does not include the provision in the House bill that would allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries to buy rotisserie chicken with their benefits. Current law does not allow SNAP benefits to be used to buy hot foods.It also does not address Democrats’ demands that the bill change the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) provision requiring states with a SNAP payment rate higher than 6% to pay a share of SNAP’s cost. The OBBBA gives states with an error rate of 15% or higher more time to comply with the law, and Democrats have said all the states should be given more time to comply.The bill also does not address the year-round nationwide sale of E15, a fuel blend that would use more ethanol, or provide another round of financial aid to farmers who are caught between low commodity prices, higher input costs and the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on products from other countries that have resulted in retaliation against U.S. farm products.Boozman excluded these proposals because he wanted to propose a bill that could garner 60 votes on the Senate floor and be enacted into law, a Senate Agriculture Committee aide told reporters today. The aide added that senators will be free to offer amendments to address those issues, but if they do that in the committee markup “it would preclude us from moving forward” to the Senate floor, the aide said.”If we can’t get to conference [with the House], we can’t help people do anything,” the aide added.
Boozman hopes to hold a markup on the bill after the Senate returns from a two-week July 4 recess and before the August break, the aide said.
“Our preference is to do a bipartisan markup,” the aide said.The OBBBA provided more money for basic commodity subsidies, crop insurance and other programs while cutting the budget for SNAP by making it harder to qualify for the program. Boozman has estimated that the OBBBA covered 85% of the farm bill. Aides did not have an estimate of the cost of this farm bill, but said it is budget-neutral.
–The Hagstrom Report
