Kansas Republican Rep. Roger Marshall says that despite the Farm Bill failing to pass in the House last week, he still expects it to pass.
No Democrats voted for the bill, and the Freedom Caucus, a small group of conservative Republicans, also withdrew their support until after immigration is discussed.
Marshall is on the House Agriculture committee. He says there are no plans to win over Democrats by backtracking on stricter work requirements for federal food aid.
“The way the bill is on the table, we would not be able to make any changes to it without almost starting over," Marshall said. "Expect to have an immigration vote the second week of June and then a vote on the farm bill by June 22.”
The current farm bill expires Sept. 30. Marshall says it’s vital to get it done soon because farmers are grappling with trade concerns and drought conditions on the Plains.
“Farmers have the seven plagues of Egypt, plus trade and tariff issues going on right now," Marshall said. "They need the certainty of a farm bill.”
Ben Kuebrich reports for High Plains Public Radio in Garden City and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KMUW, Kansas Public Radio, KCUR and HPPR covering health, education and politics. Follow him on @Ben_Kuebrich. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post. To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.
