The House of Representatives voted Thursday to defeat the 2013 five-year $1 trillion farm bill in a 195-234 vote.
The down vote means the bill won’t go to conference in the Senate, which passed its own version last week. The White House had threatened to veto the House version.
In the final vote tally, only 24 Democrats voted for the bill, with 64 Republicans voting against.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman has released the following statement:
“The American Farm Bureau Federation is highly disappointed the House did not complete work on the 2013 farm bill, the ‘Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013.’ It was a balanced bill that would have provided much needed risk management tools and a viable economic safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers.
“We commend House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) for their commitment and hard work in bringing the bill to the floor and working toward its passage. We look forward to working with them as we regroup and move forward. We also appreciate House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) for working with the Agriculture Committee leadership to bring the bill to the floor.
“A completed farm bill is much needed to provide farmers and ranchers certainty for the coming years and to allow the Agriculture Department to plan for an orderly implementation of the bill’s provisions.”
Stay tuned to Plows and Politics for updates, as well as information and action alerts from Virginia Farm Bureau. If you are a producer member and would like to receive these alerts, please contact Kelly Pruitt at 804-290-1293 or kprui@vafb.com.
