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ANLA, and our partners in the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, are encouraged by the broad bipartisan support for the 2013 Farm Bill, demonstrated by the Agriculture committees of the U.S. Senate and House. Last week both committees passed their respective version of the bill last week. The Senate passed their version with a 15-5 vote and the House passed theirs with a 36-10 vote. Both bills look largely like they did last year – before final passage of a new Farm Bill fell short due to inaction by the U.S. House. This year the Senate is reporting about $23 billion in savings over ten years and the House reporting nearly $40 billion in savings.

Filed under: Farm Bill • legislation • research • disease • pest

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The Senate Agriculture Committee marked up its version of the 2013 Farm Bill on May 14th and the House Agriculture Committee is set to begin their mark up on May 15th. While the results of these hearing are not yet known we expect a fairly clean process in the Senate but the House committee may take a day or two. Most of the battles will be over the commodity programs (Title I), conservation (Title II), and SNAP (Food Stamps; Title IV).

Filed under: Farm Bill • legislation

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Following months of inaction on this vital legislation, both chambers of Congress appear to be picking up the pace and have scheduled mark-ups on their draft versions of a new Farm Bill. This is a large bill that will likely come with a nearly $1 trillion price tag over ten years. However, both the House and Senate have made it clear that deficit reducing cuts will be made.

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U.S. House, Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas has scheduled a mark-up, for a new attempt at a Farm Bill, on May 15th. While there have been some changes in the make-up of the committee it still contains many of the same players that passed their version of the bill last year – which was never voted on in the last Congress.

In preparation for the bill mark-up, the House Agriculture Committee will be holding a hearing on Wednesday, April 24a at 10am ET to review the horticulture priorities for the 2013 Farm Bill. Live audio and video feeds of the hearing can be accessed here.

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According to a committee aide – Senator Debbie Stabenow, Agriculture Committee Chairwoman, intends to restart the Farm Bill debate at the end of April. Last year the Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill, only to see it stall in the House. With a new year and new congress the Senate must begin the process over again.

Filed under: Farm Bill • legislation