With the Midterm elections nearly a month behind us, we know that Congress will look a little different next January. Republicans took control of the House of Representatives and Democrats took outright control of the Senate. This means bipartisanship or continued gridlock will reign for the next two years. With an important piece of Ag legislation waiting in the wings, what is the vibe from industry insiders about its prospects?
Richard Fordyce is the Former Director of the Farm Service Agency during the Trump Administration and is currently Business Growth Director for Agriculture at Osborn Barr Paramore. He talks about the makeup of Congress and the urgency of getting the 2023 Farm Bill completed on time.
Pennsylvania Representative GT Thompson is going to be the Chairman of the House Ag Committee after spending the last session as its Ranking Member. Fordyce talks about Thompson?s willingness to hit the ground running, even before he is officially appointed to his post.
The Ag Committees of both Congressional chambers have long boasted bipartisanship. Usually, their differences come from geography rather than parties. However, the bigger challenge that a Farm bill faces is when it hits the full House and Senate. Fordyce says that there may be differences of opinion on how funding is divided, but they still work well together.
The 118th Congress will convene on January 3rd, 2023.
