U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is urging Congress to send a farm bill to President Obama’s desk.
At a summit in Ames sponsored by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Vilsack repeated a common refrain: that the bill encompasses food, farm and jobs policies and affects many more Americans than just farmers and recipients of nutrition assistance.
An extension removes any impetus for getting a farm bill done
Vilsack doesn’t favor the idea of extending the current farm bill for another year.
“Honestly, an extension removes any impetus for getting a farm bill done,” Vilsack said.
Vilsack also said it won’t get any easier to write a new farm bill in 2014, which is an election year.
But with the August Congressional recess looming, Vilsack said time appears to be running out for getting the job done this year.