Senate Could Beat House in Marking Up New Farm Bill

The Senate this year may accomplish something it hasn't done in the past two omnibus farm bills: beat the House to a markup vehicle.

The Senate this year may accomplish something it hasn't done in the past two omnibus farm bills: beat the House to a markup vehicle.

With a new Agriculture Committee chairman in the House –– Republican Frank Lucas of Oklahoma –– it is unlikely there will be a push to complete the measure this calendar year in the House, a goal that had been set by the previous chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.). However, the pressures of the 2012 election on Senate Agriculture Committee members could lead to that panel marking up its version of the farm bill yet this calendar year.

If this scenario plays out, it would be a far cry from the process of the previous two farm bills in the Senate when then Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) was encouraged to begin the farm bill process by then Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) in 2002 and by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.Y.) in 2008. In contrast, current Chairman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has called for farm bill hearings this month and in March.

Conrad again will play a major role in the coming farm bill debate, not only regarding the content of the legislation but also on its timeline. Conrad will not be a candidate for re-election in 2012 and this schedule may add to his desire to complete the process before the end of 2012. However, at least some observers are predicting that Congress will be unable to approve new farm legislation until well into 2013, making it more likely that the 2012 Act will be extended for one year.

In addition to the fact that Conrad is leaving the Senate, six other Democrats on the committee will be running for re-election in 2012. They, too, could be eager to complete work on the measure before going on the campaign trail in the summer and fall of 2012.

On the Senate Republican side, ranking member Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) is busy staffing his office and that could provide more help for Republicans on the committee, which is now divided between 11 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Roberts is no stranger to the farm bill process, having lead the charge while chairman of the House Ag Committee during the 1996 farm bill debate, another reason to expect that the Senate will move more quickly.

One cautionary note: should the Senate actually go first in completing its version of the farm bill, any revenue provisions included in the measure would bring up so-called "blue slip" possibilities. That refers to the requirement that revenue-generating bills must originate in the House.

Last year, similar emerged regarding the Senate version of the food safety reform measure. That slip-up caused some late-session glitches and follow-on legislation to fix the mess.  

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