Washington, DC — US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says it appears Farm Bill negotiations have gotten more complex.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says a majority of House Republicans oppose a Senate plan to take nearly 10 billion dollars in unspent funds from the so-called Inflation Reduction Act and use it on conservation programs.
Vilsack says current budget rules would allow that 10-billion-dollar transfer.
Funding for federal conservation assistance was increased dramatically by the Inflation Reduction Act.
Neither the House nor the Senate brought a new Farm Bill up for a vote this year. If Congress fails to reauthorize the 2018 Farm Bill this month, federal farm policies will revert to laws passed eight decades ago. Vilsack says that would create chaos in the markets.
Lawmakers from states hit by Hurricane Helene in late September are seeking federal disaster aid for farmers who lost crops, livestock and farm buildings.
