Resources
In The News

Tulsa World: Farm bill process kicks off in Iowa

May 01, 2010
In The News

DES MOINES, Iowa — A hearing on the new federal farm bill Friday in Des Moines kicked off the arduous process of writing a mammoth bill that covers everything from farm credit to food stamps.

The current $284 billion bill, approved in 2008, expires in September 2012, and members of the House Agriculture Committee hope to avoid disagreements that delayed passage last time.

Hearings are scheduled to continue through May 18 in Nampa, Idaho; Fresno, Calif.; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Morrow, Ga.; Troy, Ala.; Lubbock, Texas; and Sioux Falls, S.D.

"During these field hearings, I want to hear from farmers and ranchers, not only about what has worked well in the past, but also whether the current farm programs offer the best safety net possible for producers," said committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn.

Peterson told the roughly 100 people at the hearing that it would be a long, difficult process to craft a bill that takes on so many issues.

Rep. Frank D. Lucas, R-Okla., the committee’s ranking minority member, said his goal is to provide the tools farmers need "to do what you do best" — that is, produce the world’s "safest, most abundant, most affordable food supply."

"I think it’s extremely important to hear from you about what is working, what is not working and what changes we can make," he said.

Lucas said he hopes to help producers avoid what he sees as negative effects of environmental regulations that hinder their ability to market crops.


About 75 percent of the bill’s funding goes toward food nutrition programs, such as food stamps, but it also supports commodity crops, horticulture, livestock, conservation, trade, agricultural research, farm credit, rural development, energy and forestry.

Some of that support comes in the form of controversial direct payments to farmers.

# # #

Recent Posts

Sep 24, 2024
Economy

Gensler and Peirce Disagree on Treasury Clearing Implementation

Washington, DC – Today, at a Financial Services hearing entitled Oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Congressman Lucas, SEC Chair Gary Gensler, and SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce discussed the need to extend Treasury clearing timelines. While Chair Gensler did not say, Commissioner Peirce agreed with Congressman Lucas that there is a need to extend these […]

Sep 23, 2024
Press

Lucas, Mullin Welcome $5.5 Million Investment to OSU to Enhance Weather Prediction

Cheyenne, OK – The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded Oklahoma State University (OSU) $5.5 million as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. The purpose of these funds is to increase knowledge about local weather systems in the lower atmosphere, enabling the safe integration of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Advanced […]

Sep 18, 2024
Press

Lucas Honors NASA’s Hidden Figures at Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony

Washington, DC – Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas attended a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony, where he had the opportunity to honor the Hidden Figures, a group of women crucial to the space race. These women helped calculate the Apollo 11 mission to land the first astronaut on the moon. Medals […]