Congress rolled out the $31 billion disaster package on Tuesday, which includes a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill through September 2025.
Since the Farm Bill, with its numerous parts, including food stamps for the public and economic assistance for farmers and ranchers, has turned into a disaster during the past year or two, it makes a certain sort of sense. It’s a bailout by the mega disaster package.
Farm Bills typically are renewed every five years, but Congress has fallen behind this time, 
The Farm Bill bailout includes $21 billion to help farmers recover from natural disasters and another $10 billion to help crop producers. These disaster funds are contained in the Continuing Resolution, or CR, to fund the federal government through March 14.
As of Dec. 18, the vote on the CR was being put off in favor of a “clean” CR to come. Whether or not the big disaster spending survives the change remains to be seen.
The bill adds roughly $100 billion to the deficit.
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, released the following statement on Monday regarding the Farm Bill and agriculture provisions in the Continuing Resolution.
“I am so pleased that we were able to secure much-needed economic and natural disaster assistance for farmers across the country and that we did it without pitting one part of the Farm Bill against another.
“We should also celebrate that this agreement prevents a $1.5 billion cut to SNAP by extending protections to people who had their benefits stolen through no fault of their own. It invests in ag research by funding the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and permanently funding 1890 scholarships, which are so critical to growing the next generation of ag professionals. It allows for the sale of year-round E-15, a critical market. And it fully funds all the popular programs used by farmers and rural communities that would run out of funding if we did not act.
“Unfortunately, one critically important part did not get into this package. I believe it is political malpractice not to increase the funds available in the Farm Bill’s conservation title by bringing conservation and rural energy funding from the Inflation Reduction Act into the Farm Bill.
“Moving those resources would have made a permanent and lasting investment in popular conservation and energy programs while adding nearly $20 billion to the Farm Bill baseline and creating an additional $10 billion offset. This could have been used to increase economic assistance, as Democrats proposed, or it could have been invested in other Farm Bill needs. This idea had bipartisan support among the Committee leaders and would have greatly helped Congress write a new Farm Bill next year.
“Let me be clear. The $10 billion investment in economic disaster assistance we agreed to is being paid for by increasing the deficit. It could have been fully paid for by using the $10 billion in savings from moving the conservation dollars into the farm bill baseline.
“While I am relieved that we reached an agreement, it’s shocking that Republican leadership failed to support such a common sense and bipartisan proposal.”
The Continuing Appropriations and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025 also brought out comments from House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-PA.
“The bill released this evening provides much-needed relief for agriculture, including $10B in emergency economic aid, which will help address the significant losses incurred due to both weather and market-related issues. This additional monetary support is an important financial bridge that will help mitigate the severe downturn in the agricultural economy.
“Looking ahead to the 119th Congress, I hope to move quickly to enact a five-year farm bill that aligns the farm safety net with the needs of producers, among many other policies, to minimize the need for annual economic aid.
“I appreciate the partnership of incoming Chairman Boozman, as well as Members and stakeholders, who quickly and effectively highlighted the needs in farm country. These tireless efforts will lessen much of the stress for the men and women who fight to produce the food, fiber, and fuel that sustains our great nation.”
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., will chair the Senate Agriculture Committee next year, as Senator Stabenow did not seek re-election, and her party lost control of the Senate.
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