‘Chaos' in federal government could stall farm bill, Klobuchar says
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Thursday that lawmakers will face 'headwinds' negotiating a new farm bill due to the Trump administration's overhaul of the Agriculture Department and other policy fights.
Still, she remained optimistic it could be done this year.
'Hopefully we'll have some good news on a farm bill, but with all of the chaos — chaos up, corruption up, costs up — I think it does create headwinds that make it very hard to work on a farm bill,' said Klobuchar, the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, at POLITICO Playbook's First 100 Days breakfast series.
She added that if Democratic priorities like funding for nutrition and conservation programs aren't included, Republicans won't be able to get enough votes to pass the bill — the same disagreements that doomed negotiations last year.
Lawmakers are under intense pressure from constituents and agriculture groups to hammer out a new farm bill deal before the midterm elections. The massive $1.5 trillion legislative package, which is supposed to be revamped every five years, has not been updated since 2018.
A GOP-led bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee in May 2024 but never received a floor vote. Now, Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress; that could boost their ability to drive a new farm bill through, though it'll need some Democratic support to get across the finish line.
Lawmakers are hoping that Klobuchar and Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) will be able to bridge that divide to find a new deal.
'I hope that they're able to work together,' Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) also said at Thursday's breakfast event.
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