Stabenow Believes Farm Bill Passage Is ‘Doable,’ but Complicated

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With House Republicans in an uproar and the Senate only now leaning into getting its version of fiscal year 2024’s spending plans done, it’s a certainty that the farm bill, which sets the nation’s agricultural policy for the next five years, won’t be finished before the current version expires on Sept. 30.

Reauthorizing the legislation that sets policy for farm, conservation, nutrition, research and other areas overseen by the Agriculture Department, has Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on edge, although she’s been through farm bill reauthorization a number of times.

“As soon as we get a bill put together, we will move it,” Stabenow told the D.C.-based Bipartisan Policy Center in conversation with retired Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., another veteran of farm bill negotiations who served as chair​ of the Senate ​Agriculture ​Committee ​from 2005 to 2007. 

“We will have to [move it] despite the House Agriculture Committee’s best efforts. … Watching it from the outside, it makes me very nervous,” she added.

Chambliss and Stabenow are working together to craft this pivotal piece of legislation for the agricultural sector.​ 

“These ​farm ​bills, as we know, are always difficult,” Stabenow said. “It is a​ major economic influence, and the budget is always a major issue — the #1 issue​ as you approach it​.”

But now, agriculture, an essential pillar of the American economy, finds itself at the intersection of environmental stewardship, economic sustainability and a showdown in ​budget negotiations. 

“We have such a complicated set of issues to deal with right now,” Stabenow said, adding, “It is very challenging.”

“We know the farm bill is not usually partisan,” she said.

Instead, “It’s regions; it’s what you grow; it’s the ultimate struggle between the North and the South — or Midwest, Southeast, California,” she said. “It’s putting that together.”

“But what worries me the most is, despite the efforts by Chairman Thompson in the House … I worry when I look at the next two weeks whether there is going to be a government shutdown … self-inflicted.”

Still, the committee is moving ahead despite regional and partisan interests and persisting concerns about the very real possibility of a shutdown in the coming weeks.

Chambliss and Stabenow have spearheaded an 18-member bipartisan group dedicated to discussing the critical issue of agriculture’s role in climate change mitigation. Together, they have put forward 25 “commonsense” recommendations that align with four “initial guiding principles.”

According to Chambliss, these are to do no harm to existing farm growth programs; allow for voluntary participation in carbon markets; promote agricultural practices through incentive-based programs; and ensure that any programs introduced offer tangible benefits to farmers and landowners.

Throughout the reauthorization talks, trade promotion has emerged as a critical need for agricultural commodities to access global markets. 

“[Trade promotion] is critical for all of our commodities to get markets,” Stabenow insisted.

Furthermore, while shoppers have seen grocery store prices go up, the farmers’ costs are rising, too. 

“The input costs on the side of farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have skyrocketed over the last five years,” she said. 

“Some good news is … we have robust new funding on conservation — popular voluntary conservation programs.”

While optimism prevails regarding the potential for bipartisan collaboration on the farm bill, the budget does pose a challenge, with flat-funding projected for key areas such as the commodity title, crop insurance, research and credit over the next decade.

​“Every single one of our farm groups has said crop insurance​ and trade promotion​ [are the] top two priorities for them,” Stabenow said. “Then we have the rest of the important pieces of the​ farm bill. Commodity title, crop insurance, research, credit … basically,​ the budget has given us flat-funding for the next 10 years — that’s our​ challenge.​”

She stressed the importance of making crop insurance more affordable and sustainable for the 130 different crops that rely on it.

She emphasized the importance of keeping the focus on climate initiatives, firmly opposing any diversion of conservation funds to other titles.

She called for a “moon shot” in agricultural research to address the needs of the United States and the world, saying that food security is not just a national but international security concern.

Overall, Stabenow advocated for a forward-looking approach, seeking a larger baseline of funds for the future while addressing the immediate needs of farmers.

And all of this while competing interests are embattling the agenda in the final days left to work on spending bills and other high-priority legislation.

​“The only way, ultimately, we are going to be able to get this done is​ by a bipartisan bill design and working with our House ​colleagues,” Stabenow said. “We have to do the doable. Our farm bill is ​part of the doable​.”

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