Will Congress pass a farm bill by Sept. 30, when the extension of the 2008 farm bill expires?
Mary Kay Thatcher, American Farm Bureau's director of congressional relations, had an answer for us at the Missouri State Fair on Thursday.
"It's very unlikely we get it by Sept. 30. The House is in session only nine days and we haven't completed any of the 12 appropriations bills that have to be done to keep the government funded."
Thatcher says we'll likely see, at 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 30, Congress passing some kind of continuing resolution to keep the government going.
With so many priorities, does she see Congress passing a farm bill at all this year?
"I think it's far more likely that we're going to finish this bill October, November, maybe even early December. I do think, somehow, we're going to get it done. I can't tell you quite how you get to the path of finalizing the farm bill but I do think we'll get it done."
Earlier this year, Congress passed a continuing resolution that would keep the federal government operating through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com