As the deadline looms for reauthorizing the sprawling national Farm Bill that Congress updates about every five years, Congressman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, of Centre County, who is ushering it through the U.S. House, said more time may be needed to get it through Congress.
“I think there’s going to have to be an extension only because there’s a lot of moving parts," Thompson, chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, said Wednesday while at Penn State's Ag Progress Days in Centre County.
Thompson said the committee will be ready to move on the Farm Bill before it expires at the end of September, but then there’s getting it through the full House and Senate.
He said other legislation is also expiring, and there is competition for time on the House floor. But, Thompson said he anticipates the extension “hopefully would be just short term.”
And, he said, he expects passage to be bipartisan.
Congress updates the Farm Bill about every five years. This time, it is estimated that the Farm Bill will cost $1.51 trillion over 10 years.
It includes support for a range of programs — crops, conservation, research and forestry. But the biggest part is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP.
SNAP has its critics, including some Republicans who have pushed for stricter work requirements or reduced benefits. That has led to pushback from Democrats.
“For whatever reason it is a hot button issue for some people," Thompson said of the politics of the legislation.
He noted changes already have been made to SNAP. Increased SNAP work requirements were included in the debt ceiling deal reached in Washington this year.
“I don’t think nutrition has to be controversial. It’s about helping neighbors in need," Thompson said.
“We may have some opportunities to be able to improve the SNAP program, but for the most part we’re pretty satisfied with where it is right now," he said.
Senator John Fetterman also spoke at the event, saying he’ll be fighting for the Farm Bill.
