With 2023 Farm Bill On The Horizon, Who Will Advocate For Farmers?

One of the biggest Ag issues this Congress will take up, or at least start, is the creation of the 2023 Farm Bill. During a recent roundtable discussion Michael Torrey, with Michael Torrey and Associates in Washington D.C., as well as Jay Truitt, of Policy Solutions LLC also in D.C., discussed what the farming community can expect with the new look Congress.

Truitt said one of the most notable changes, is not Democrats having the majority in both the House and the Senate, but the void in leadership, which he feels will be a dominating factor when the bill is crafted.

“You can’t just remove a Pat Roberts or a Collin Peterson, who bring 45 years of historical perspective, and know all of the mistakes that we’ve made, in addition to the things that we did that kind of worked right, or we could afford, or seemed to give us the biggest bang for our buck, you can’t remove them from the process and just think it’s going to be the same.”

Truitt added many of the others who have worked on the Farm Bill in the past, do not have the same level of expertise and experience as Roberts, Peterson or Mike Conaway.

Torrey meanwhile said agriculture in many ways will be under a microscope during this Congress, because of budget concerns, COVID funding already paid out, and well as what he called the balance of social economic policy.

“Obviously, Ag Committee are normally focused on commodity programs and hunger programs, but the number of members of Congress that have joined the committee from urban areas because of hunger and feeding programs specify.  So, there is going to be a little bit of a conflict.”

Torrey noted the bigger challenge remains at the caucus level, and determining which rural democrats are going to advocate for farmers and agriculture.

Both men said only time will tell who will rise to the challenge to ensure farmers have the voice they need when the 2023 Farm Bill is taken up.

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