“With so much uncertainty about the House leadership, three lobbyists told the Red River Farm Network that they expect progress on the fiscal year 2024 Agriculture appropriations bill and the next farm bill to be slow, according to RRFN’s weekly update published Monday.
“Policy Solutions President Jay Truitt said, “Someone inside the GOP strategy circle has to feel like the people that made the marketing decisions at Bud Lite right now. They pulled off a coup and got something done that nobody else could do, but what did they get? All you did was make yourself look silly.”
“Truitt described himself as a “hard-core conservative political analyst” and said he understands the frustration but believes the Freedom Caucus “shot themselves in the foot with this move.”
“The current uncertainty in Congress will not help the farm bill process, Truitt said, adding’ “Everything is on hold from the farm bill to defense spending to anything else the House thought they would get done.”
“National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said that the House Republicans’ vote to vacate the chair of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. after he brought a bill to the floor to keep the government open, “The message to folks is if you work on a bipartisan basis, you get punished. It’s going to be really challenging to put together the votes to keep the government open.”
“Russell Group President Randy Russell said an extension of the farm bill is likely, “The dust really has to settle on the appropriations bill before a pathway can be created to get the farm bill done.”