Republican Kansas Senator Pat Roberts says he isn't satisfied with the pace of negotiations on the farm bill.
He says the U.S. House and Senate may be divided on issues such as food stamp funding, but the process needs to move forward so farmers can plan for the future. Closed-door meetings have resumed in Washington between a handful of members of the conference committee. Roberts says he wants public meetings to continue.
“We have to work it out, and if we can’t do that, shame on us. I’m not happy with the current farm bill, but I do know that in the interest of certainty and predictability, farmers need to know this,” Roberts says.
Significant commodity price increases could result if legislators don't craft some kind of agreement before next month. Likely the earliest that the U.S. House and Senate conference committee can meet is next week, when the Senate reconvenes.
