Sen. Boozman suggests delaying farm bill as Congress struggles with policy changes and funding uncertainties.

Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman, the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, has suggested that Congress might be better off leaving an already overdue five-year farm bill unfinished in 2024 than passing a bill without significant changes to policy. He spoke at a forum sponsored by POLITICO at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Neither Boozman nor House Agriculture Chair Glenn “G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) have shown significant progress towards moving a farm bill in both chambers. The balance between $15 billion for conservation and climate-related research is still uncertain. Thompson is seeking significant increases in the target prices that trigger commodity payments to farmers, which could reduce inflation since the 2018 farm bill. The incoming Trump administration’s approach to farm programs remains a potential wild card, especially if officials resist expansion of crop insurance subsidies or call for reductions in conservation programs.