May 24, 2024

New Democrat Coalition Farm Bill Task Force Chair Statement Following Committee Markup of 2024 Farm Bill

Today, New Democrat Coalition Farm Bill Task Force Chair Kim Schrier (WA-08) issued a statement following the House Agriculture Committee’s markup of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024.

“New Dems are encouraged that the House and Senate are making progress to advance a must-pass Farm Bill this year. However, we are disappointed that the Republican leadership of the House Agriculture Committee decided to move forward with a version of the Farm Bill that does not meet the standards most of our constituents expect. Without support from both parties, the bill in its current form has no path to passage through the House.”

“Guided by our Task Force’s five core principles, New Dems will continue working with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle and Capitol to support passage of a comprehensive Farm Bill that finds common ground and delivers for our agricultural producers, rural communities, and the American people.”

Background

Last July, the Task Force released its five principles for Farm Bill reauthorization, which include: revitalizing rural areas through broadband deployment; strengthening nutrition programs to combat food insecurity; providing certainty for growers and producers, particularly beginner, young, and socially disadvantaged producers; enhancing research capacity to bolster trade promotion and marketing to expand international markets; and utilizing agriculture to improve our environment and strengthen food supply chains.

Last September, the Task Force endorsed 44 bills led or co-led by New Dem Members and released a statement strongly urging the inclusion of this legislation in the upcoming Farm Bill.

Additionally, after the House rejected the extremist Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA appropriations bill last fall, the Task Force released a statement warning against partisan fighting: “As we prepare to pass a Farm Bill, we must ensure it is bipartisan and does not replicate past Republican failures caused by injecting partisanship into the debate."

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