Following Tuesday’s announcement of a deal reached between House Democrats and the White House, the American Farm Bureau Federation is asking Congress to quickly pass USCMA.

 

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“Talks between those two sides have been going on for several months," said AFBF senior congressional relations director Dave Salmonsen.  "But, they came down to it, made agreement, primarily on some additional enforcement provisions. That seemed to be enough to wrap it up. And now we can move forward with the agreement and Congress can soon, and we hope very soon, look at this and we hope to get it passed.”

 

Salmonsen added he is hopeful for a vote next week.

 

“I think there is a great desire to have this passed in both houses by the time Congress adjourns this session on December 20. But, now that there’s an agreement it’s up to the administration to send to Congress the draft of an implementing bill.”

 

While the implementing legislation must go through other procedural hurdles, Salmonsen said it’s possible to reach the finish line next week.

 

“It is procedurally possible," Salmonsen continued.  "These things can take time, or they can be done very quickly. But, it seems to be that all sides, we’ve heard positive of course from the House Democrats, the speaker’s office, the House Republicans have said they would support it. Of course, the White House has signed off on it. So, it seems to me it can move ahead barring anything unforeseen and they can move to a vote hopefully by the middle and end of next week.”

 

 

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