Gearing up for a conference with the Senate to negotiate the Farm Bill, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has appointed 13 Republican conferees from the House of Representatives. He named Representative Frank Lucas (OK), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, along with Representatives Steve King (IA), Randy Neugebauer (TX), Mike Rogers (AL), Mike Conaway (TX), Glenn Thompson (PA), Austin Scott (GA), Rick Crawford (AR), Martha Roby (AL), Kristi Noem (SD), Jeff Denham (CA), Rodney Davis (IL), Steve Southerland (FL), Ed Royce (CA), Tom Marino (PA), Dave Camp (MI) and Sam Johnson (TX).

All but five are members of the agriculture committee. Southerland, who is not on the ag committee, will serve as the leadership conferee. Royce and Marino, who serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Camp and Johnson, members of the Ways & Means Committee, will negotiate only on specific sections.

The House Democrats were appointed by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), who named Representative Marcia Fudge (OH) as her representative. The other appointees are Representatives Collin Peterson (MN), Mike McIntyre (NC), Jim Costa (CA), Timothy Walz (MN), Kurt Schrader (OR), Jim McGovern (MA), Suzan DelBene (WA), Filemon Vela (TX), Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA), Eliot Engel (NY) and Sander Levin (MI).

Engel serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Levin sits on the Ways & Means Committee. They also will negotiate only on specific sections. All other Democrat conferees are members of the House Committee on Agriculture, including Peterson who is the ranking member.    

IDFA: 'Conferees Should Accept House Compromise'

“Given the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, 291-135, for the Goodlatte-Scott dairy package, we believe that the House conferees are in a strong position to eliminate the controversial stabilization program that will raise milk prices on consumers by as much as 35 cents a gallon and will impose production quotas on dairy farmers,” said Jerry Slominski, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy.

“That retrograde policy has been soundly rejected and potentially stands in the way of a new Farm Bill. Instead of handcuffing the dairy industry with an anti-growth program that will cost thousands of jobs, the conferees should accept the House compromise that authorizes a new, effective and expanded revenue insurance program for dairy farmers but does not reduce the nutritional safety net for millions of Americans,” Slominski said. 

Farm Bill Process

Earlier this month, the House combined the agriculture portion of its Farm Bill, passed in July, with the nutrition portion of its Farm Bill, passed in September, and approved the combined bill by a vote of 226-191. The bill was sent to the Senate, where it was quickly rejected. Senate leaders then called for a conference committee to resolve the differences between the two bills.

At that time, the Senate appointed its conferees. They are Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS), as well as Senators Pat Leahy (D-VT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Max Baucus (D-MT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), John Boozman (R-AR) and John Hoeven (R-ND).

For more information, contact Slominski at jslominski@idfa.org.