WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Steve King today joined his fellow House Agriculture Committee members in concluding multiple days of drafting a revamped Farm Bill in order to send it for consideration of the full House. The bill, which set the nation’s agriculture policy, passed the House committee by voice vote late Thursday night.

 

The Farm Bill should help maintain Iowa’s leading role in world agriculture. From dairy contracting to environmental regulation, King promoted updated policies that help producers.

 

“Dairy forward contracting is an important risk management tool for dairy farmers and I’m happy to say that I made sure this bill includes it. Also, I made sure the committee included provisions to protect farmers from attack by environmentalists who have tried to claim that manure is labeled toxic waste. My provision should make sure farmers aren’t forced to follow senseless environmental regulation,” King added.

 

“Thankfully, we were also able to defend the commodities title against a smaller budget than 2002 and kept it intact. That’s good for corn and soybeans, amongst other crops,” stated King.

 

The Farm Bill will now be sent to the floor of the House, where it will be debated for a vote by the entire 435-member chamber. King observed that urban interests had co-opted wide swaths of the bill, “The budget of the commodities title was greatly reduced, while simultaneously the nutrition title was increased. We kept the title intact, but essentially, we are seeing money taken from Iowa’s cornstalks and being sent straight to the cities. This is the result of San Francisco, Pelosi-led politics. We’re seeing nothing short of the urbanization of the Farm Bill. It’s wrong and we need the help of every agriculture voice out there to stop this before it gets worse during the House floor debate.”

 

 

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