House Passes Farm Bill Extension Before Adjourning Until January

Just before adjourning for its winter recess, the U.S. House of Representatives approved on December 13, 2013, by voice vote an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill through January 31, 2014. The vote is considered symbolic because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has asserted that the Senate will not consider an extension. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Representative Colin Peterson (D-MN), two of the principals leading Farm Bill negotiations, have reportedly stated that an extension is unnecessary since they expect to prepare in final a framework for the next Farm Bill to be passed by Congress before the end of January. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be required, absent a new Farm Bill, to set up a supply-side management program after December 31, 2013, it is expected that Congress will pass a new five-year Farm Bill by the end of January 2014, when such a program would effectively be up and running.