Works Begins on Farm Bill

A “Hearing from the Heartland” series kicked off in Kansas last week in preparation for work on the 2018 Farm Bill.

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, hosted the first hearing at Kansas State University.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s ranking member, also was part of the hearing. Roberts and Stabenow heard from two panels of witnesses representing agriculture and other stakeholders in rural communities.

In his opening remarks, Roberts alluded to funding for the bill. “Agriculture, and specifically the Farm Bill, has consistently answered the call to do more with less. The last Farm Bill voluntarily cut spending. The previous crop insurance contract with USDA cut $6 billion from the program. I could go on and on about where ag gave at the store,” he said.

Given current fiscal needs, Roberts said “we must be judicious with the scarce resources we have.”

To see testimony from the hearing, go to FarmEquip.org/senatehearing.