The 2018 Farm Bill cleared another hurdle in Congress. On Tuesday, 87 senators voted in favor of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The last farm bill expired back in September, and it has been an uphill battle to reach a compromise. But now, with bi-partisan support, the bill moves onto the US House. Montana’s two senators voted in favor of the bill, while both Wyoming senators Mike Enzi and John Barasso voted against it.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s congressional delegation and the state’s farmers and ranchers are celebrating Tuesday after the U.S. Senate gave approval to a new Farm Bill worth more than $860 billion.
Different versions of the bill have been under debate for weeks. But when it came time for a vote on Tuesday, senators passed the package on a sweeping 87-to-13 vote.
Pressure to pass the bill has been building as farmers and ranchers worry about the impacts of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on certain commodities which have caused a slide in some prices over the past few months.
In addition to a new package of farm subsidies, the bill provides money for farmers’ markets and local food co-ops and legalizes hemp. It doesn’t include cuts to food stamp (SNAP) programs, although it does make some revisions aimed at stopping the abuse of the program.
The Montana Farm Bureau calls the bill “great for Montana’s farmers and ranchers, as well as for consumers”.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., says the Farm Bill provides “certainty” for producers while protecting “conservation tools” and ensuring access to “quality food” for hungry Montanans.
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who serves on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, notes the bill also includes money to boost rural internet access in Montana and funding for land-grant universities like Montana State University and farm research stations.
“It provides the kind of certainty producers can take to the bank while protecting successful conservation tools and ensuring every hungry Montanan has access to quality food,” Tester said.
The bill is headed to the House, where it’s expected to pass.
Story by Dennis Bragg, MTN News
