Corn Comments: DaNita Murray and the Farm Bill 2.0
Welcome to Corn Comments! I'm DaNita Murray, Executive Director for South Dakota Corn. We are brought to you by the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, a volunteer group of farmers who promote corn marketing in this state, the U.S., and around the globe.
We’ve talked before about the upcoming 2023 farm bill during these comments and to continue the discussion, let’s be frank about some of the issues facing this legislation. Are there conceivably five members of the US House of Representatives that will vote against a farm bill even though it was generated by their Republican chair? A fair answer is yes. Why does it matter if it is 5 votes or 50 against the farm bill? Let’s answer that question with a question—how much bipartisan cooperation is possible in the 118th Congress? What would a farm bill even look like that can get the majority of the majority? It is unclear. Do Speakers of the US House bring a farm bill to the floor, or any bill for that matter, that doesn’t meet this standard? Not likely. Does the farm bill affect corn farmers across the state of South Dakota? Absolutely.
All of this to say, the environment for this farm bill is complex and its path forward is yet to be determined. However, there may be renewed interest from Members of Congress as they witness the war in Ukraine and its effect on food security. As former US Senator Pat Roberts from Kansas has said on multiple occasions, “Food security is a matter of national security.”
Thanks again to all for your efforts in rural communities across this state.