Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:12:49 CDT
As Congressman Frank Lucas gets closer to possibly being part of the House of Agriculture Committee for 2023, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, visits with Lucas at the Town Hall on Hunger on September 26th to talk about that Farm Bill process.
One thing seen in recent days is the Biden Administration offering billions of dollars under the Climate Smart Ag Projects. Based on the magnitude of the programs the administration is putting out, the dollar values, and the things they are taking on, Lucas said he doesn’t see any way from a rulemaking process that the administration can get things going until late into next year.
“That just means that when we are financing the farm bill, we might have a little pool of money to reach out to,” Lucas said. “The glass is always half full. If the Biden administration is going to provide me the money to do what we need to do in the Farm Bill, even if it might not be their intention, let’s get after it.”
From his ten-year in congress, Lucas said he knows that administrations usually stay quite a distance away from the Farm Bill process and leave it to the House and the Senate.
“I suspect the House and the Senate will once again craft the 2023 Farm Bill, and the way the process appears to me to be going toward November, I think I will be in the majority,” Lucas said.
Lucas also talked about how the Farm Bill may be tweaked to offer something for producers during drought and gave an example within his home area.
“In my home area, those who sow wheat to get insurance for potential graze out are supposed to have it in the ground on October 15,” Lucas said. “That is not going be possible in much of my home area. Those are the kind of issues we’ve got to look at next year.”
Lucas talked about improving some of the delivery systems for individuals who need food security.
“This was a very good town hall because we have those who are delivering the services to those who need them every day,” Lucas said. “They have been through the COVID mess, they know what didn’t work and they have lots of good suggestions of what will work. That is what town halls are about and that is what committee hearings are about is to listen to people and make something that is good even better. Let’s try and see if we can do that next year.”
As far as the 2023 Farm Bill is process is concerned, some hearings have been held, but Lucas said that after the election, there will be much more work and hopefully the focus will be much more traditional.
Click the LISTEN BAR below to listen to Ron’s Full Conversation with Congressman Frank Lucas at the Town Hall on Hunger.
