Mike Conway says money will be tight for the next Farm Bill: “We’re spending too much money every day”

The Farm Bill is currently running on another extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, but getting a new one finished is a top priority for ag lawmakers.

The former House Ag Committee Chair, Mike Conway, authored the legislation, and he says it will all come don to money and finding ways to negotiate over SNAP benefits.

“We’re spending way too much money every single day, and so I would anticipate that it’s going to be difficult for the Budget Committees to agree to new money for the non-stat portions of the farm bill, which means if they want to change something in one title, they’ve got to move money out of a different title. And that means taking money away from people who have been getting it and giving it to the folks who may need it more. Those kinds of Solomon-like decisions are going to have to get made, but if they can get snapped off the table through reconciliation, then I think they’ve got a great chance of getting a farm bill done. Not by this September, but maybe this calendar year can get that done.”

The 2018 Farm Bill is now the third-largest Farm Bill in history. The 1938 Farm Bill ran for ten years, and the 1956 legislation went for nine.

Related Stories
As ag lawmakers in the Senate await the House vote on the Farm Bill, they are eager to discuss the challenges farmers face before it is their turn to take up the critical legislation.
House ag leaders had hoped to get the Farm Bill voted on by Easter, but no dates have been secured just yet.
OHFB President Bill Patterson shares an update from Washington on the group’s policy priorities and the issues shaping agriculture ahead of the 2026 planting season.
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Kansas congressman Dan Glickman joined RFD News to share his outlook on agricultural policy, bipartisan cooperation, and the challenges facing farmers today.
The bill has already cleared the House Agriculture Committee and is headed toward a full House vote, but the timeline for final passage remains unclear. But the question is, when exactly? Could it possibly be a nice little gift for Easter?
UNL student fellow Alison Walbrecht shares her perspective on building support for agricultural research, extension, and teaching while gaining hands-on insight into federal policymaking.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Federal assistance has helped, but the most recent row-crop losses remain on producers’ balance sheets.
OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh discusses the EPA’s new Right to Repair guidance and other regulatory developments impacting the trucking and agriculture industries.
Tyler Schuster is an ag industry advocate who mentors and supports the next generation, especially women finding their place in the cattle industry.
NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart breaks down CAFO permits, EPA enforcement, and what cattle producers need to know as rules continue to evolve.
Rebuilding domestic textiles depends on automation and vertical integration, not tariffs or legacy manufacturing models.
RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey spoke with U.S. Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and John Rose (R-TN), who say bipartisan cooperation will be key to getting the Farm Bill to the president’s desk.