This week, Congress passed H.R.6363, the “Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act of 2024.” The bipartisan legislation prevents a government shutdown and includes a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill. The House passed the bill by a vote of 336-95; the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 87-11, and President Biden has signed it into law.
The purpose of this stop-gap measure was to avoid a government shutdown, allow more time to consider individual appropriations bills, and to prevent an end-of-year omnibus. AFBF sent a letter to all members of Congress expressing support for the legislation and inclusion of a farm bill extension which ensures farmers will not experience any disruptions at the start of the new year.
Notably for farmers, H.R. 6363 funds the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies through January 19, 2024, and funds the Interior, Environment, and Labor agencies through February 2, 2024.
Included in the bill, the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders brokered a deal to extend the 2018 farm bill through September 30, 2024, and fully funds the orphan programs through that same period. Funding for these programs was achieved by rescinding over $177 million from the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, commonly referred to as the “Section 9003 program.”
This farm bill extension gives farmers stability and certainty heading in to the 2024 crop year. However, we urge both the House and Senate to stay focused on a new, modernized farm bill that recognizes the many changes and challenges of the past five years. The current farm bill was written before the COVID pandemic, before inflation spiked, and before global unrest sent shock waves through the agricultural and input supply chain. Farm Bureau, the agriculture industry, and both agriculture committees have worked hard over the past 18 months to craft an effective farm bill. Congress must keep that momentum going.
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