House GOP releases $1.5 trillion farm bill proposal as clock ticks

by Taylor Giorno - 05/17/24 10:10 AM ET

A farmer stands in a field as a machine works in the distance. — Adobe Stock
Despite divisions, there are significant points of overlap between the House Republicans’ and Democrats’ dueling farm bill proposals: Both support big spending on rural broadband and the high-tech “precision agriculture” it enables; put an emphasis on boosting the trade of American products abroad; and include funding for research at America’s land grant schools.

House Agriculture Chair Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) unveiled his long-awaited farm bill, teeing up the process of wedding the two chambers’ competing visions for the $1.5 trillion package underpinning the U.S. agriculture system.

The committee is set to mark up the multiyear package next week, but gaps between the Republican-controlled House version of the bill and summary of the Democrat-controlled Senate released earlier this month must be closed before Congress can pass the bill.

“The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 is the product of extensive feedback from stakeholders and all Members of the House, and is responsive to the needs of farm country through the incorporation of hundreds of bipartisan policies,” Thompson said.

“The release of this draft is a significant step forward in a years-long, deliberative process. The markup is one step in a greater House process, that should not be compromised by misleading arguments, false narratives, or edicts from the Senate. I look forward to engaging with colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we move to markup.”

The clock is ticking. Congress has until Sept. 30 to come to a compromise and pass the bill or pass another extension. Lawmakers will spar over key provisions, such as Inflation Reduction Act funding for fighting climate change, federal nutrition programs, food aid and forest management.

Tags Glenn Thompson