Congress recently left Washington, DC—just a few weeks after returning from its month-long August recess—and won’t be back until after Election Day. For the next few weeks, members of both the Senate and House of Representatives will be laser-focused on campaigning for re-election, leaving much of their legislative work unresolved.
One of the key issues that remains up in the air? The 2024 (previously 2023) food and farm bill.
Congress punts on appropriations, for now
First, it’s worth noting that Congress did, at least, take action on next year’s federal budget before leaving town—sort of.
With the September 30 deadline for passing a fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations package looming and no agreement in sight, Congress settled on a temporary fix: they passed a continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government at last year’s levels until December 20. As those who follow the federal budget process closely are aware, use of continuing resolutions has become standard operating procedure in DC when it comes to the annual budget.
In some years, the government has come dangerously close to shutting down due to Congress’s failure to agree on funding levels. This year, however, the prospect of the upcoming election and a strong desire on both sides of the aisle to leave town in favor of the campaign trail led Democrats and Republicans to agree with relative ease on punting the question of FY25 funding until after the election.
So for now, the government remains funded—but Congress will have to take action again before Christmas, either by passing an FY25 appropriations package that includes funding for the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies, or by approving another CR to take us into the new year. Stay tuned.
Still no certainty on the farm bill
One notable thing that the CR funding package did not include was a one-year extension of the food and farm bill.
A little history: the food and farm bill that was signed into law in 2018 was originally scheduled to expire in 2023. However, last fall Congress decided to pass a temporary, one-year extension of the bill when it became obvious there was no chance new legislation would be finalized by that deadline. The one-year extension expired on September 30.
Congress could have passed another extension and effectively conceded that any action on a new food and farm bill would have to wait until 2025. Because they chose not to do so, there’s still some hope—however faint—that we may see a new bill passed in the “lame duck” session of Congress, after the House and Senate return to work following the November election.
Talks seem to be continuing between the House and Senate Agriculture Committee chairs and ranking members about the possibility of getting a bill finalized this year. Or it’s possible we won’t see a completed food and farm bill, but another extension of the old bill to keep programs running.
What’s in the proposed food and farm bill?
Last May, the House Agriculture Committee passed its version of the food and farm bill, but the legislation has yet to be voted on by the full House of Representatives.
As I shared previously, the House bill contains several provisions that UCS opposes, such as removing requirements that conservation funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) be used specifically for climate-related programs and practices.
Another point of contention is nutrition programming. The House bill would change how benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are calculated in the future. Instead of using science and dietary guidelines to make changes to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which determines the level of SNAP benefits, the House bill would limit such changes—potentially resulting in a $30 billion cut to SNAP benefits over the next decade.
Additionally, the House bill does not include sufficient support for farmworkers and food system workers, and preempts local and state governments’ regulatory authority and decisionmaking on issues such as packaging and pesticide use. It also fails to provide meaningful assistance to historically underserved farmers.
While the Senate has yet to introduce or vote on a bill of its own, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released a detailed framework for potential food and farm bill legislation last summer that is much more promising than what we see in the House bill.
The Senate proposal would maintain climate requirements for conservation funding; protect the SNAP program and ensure it’s updated every five years based on evolving science and dietary guidelines; provide funding to address heirs’ property and to promote equity at 1890s land-grant institutions; and support workers by expanding the duties of the USDA’s farmworker coordinator and establishing a Farmworker and Food System Worker Advisory Committee. It’s a proposal much more in line with UCS’s food and farm bill priorities.
So what happens next?
After the election, Congress is expected to return to Washington for a final lame-duck legislative session before the end of 2024. It’s not certain what, if anything, they’ll be able to accomplish in terms of moving a food and farm bill forward. Much of Congress’s focus will be on “must-pass” bills such as FY25 appropriations funding, so other legislation will likely take a back seat.
However, it’s encouraging to hear that House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders are still talking to one another about a food and farm bill. It’s possible we may see a version of this bill negotiated by committee leaders and attached to other legislation, such as appropriations funding, and brought up for a vote before the end of the year. If not, we’ll begin 2025 without a food and farm bill—but also with a new Congress and another chance to help shape the type of legislation we hope to see the next president sign into law.
In the meantime, now is a good opportunity to reach out to your members of Congress and urge them to support a food and farm bill that centers climate, nutrition, equity, and workers. As the clock winds down on the 2024 legislative calendar, your voice remains powerful!