National Cattlemen January 2024 | Page 14

In November 2023 , President Biden signed a continuing resolution into law avoiding a government shutdown and extending the 2018 Farm Bill through Sept . 30 , 2024 . Now , lawmakers will have a few extra months to work on crafting the next Farm Bill , but not in the best of times .

“ Right now in Congress , the majorities in both chambers are hairline fracture thin between Republicans and Democrats . Many Republicans are hesitant to vote for big ticket bills that they have to go home and discuss with their constituents ,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Allison Rivera . “ With continued inflation and a need for strong safety nets for producers , we have to stress to policymakers why these Farm Bill dollars are an important investment to avoid much larger spending in the future .”

One of the clearest examples of this investment is the money funding the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank ( NAVVCB ), which currently houses the foot-and-mouth disease ( FMD ) vaccine . The investments Congress made to stand up the bank in 2018 and the additional investments to maintain it are miniscule compared to the billions of dollars the economy would lose if a FMD outbreak were to occur in the U . S .

While the Farm Bill extension prevents the expiration of many risk management and voluntary conservation programs , the pause also delays Congress ’ action to improve upon the last Farm Bill and make it even stronger and beneficial to cattle producers .

“ The reliance on extensions means Congress is ‘ kicking the can down the road ’ and that creates real uncertainty for cattle producers across the country . When you ’ re wondering every few months whether or not critical Farm Bill programs will be available and have the funding they need , it is difficult to plan for the future ,” Rivera said .

One example NCBA frequently points to is the popularity of programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program ( EQIP ) and Livestock Risk Protection ( LRP ).

“ Both EQIP and LRP provide important support to cattle producers ,” Rivera said . “ EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to producers ’ voluntary conservation efforts while LRP protects against declines in the market . With their popularity , Congress should continue to protect and bolster these programs , which is what we continually ask for .”

While the Farm Bill extension relieves some of the pressure on Congress to craft the next Farm Bill , it pushes these debates to an even more politically charged time . This year is a major presidential and congressional election year , which means policymakers will be highly focused on winning elections and the ramifications of the votes they take in an election year .

While the Farm Bill contains many important agricultural provisions , the vast majority of the legislation focuses on food and welfare programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ). These issues are always politically charged , and passage of the Farm Bill is usually seen as a compromise between elected officials who represent urban and suburban districts voting for the bill for the food programs , while rural officials are voting for the farm programs . These federal nutrition programs also dominate the campaign trail conversations around the Farm Bill .

“ Programs like SNAP are often included in political campaign messaging , and we expect even more politicking around these topics during an election year ,” Rivera said .

The margins in Congress have become even tighter in recent weeks . Previously , Republicans in the House of Representatives could only afford to lose four votes , which created numerous challenges during government funding negotiations because a small group Congress members were willing to vote against appropriations bills due to the price tag . With the recent expulsion of one member and several announced resignations , the majority is getting even smaller . Still , NCBA remains optimistic about our ability to achieve important Farm Bill provisions for cattle producers .

“ NCBA is up on Capitol Hill every day advocating for you — our members . You also continued to talk to your representatives and senators about the Farm Bill provisions that are important , and this is still extremely crucial . I urge you to continue having those conversations , and NCBA will keep fighting for a strong Farm Bill that supports cattle producers ,” Rivera said .

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