Oklahoma Farm Bureau congratulates Oklahoma’s U.S. House members, including House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, in their endeavor to safeguard American farmers and ranchers with the passage of the House farm bill. The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday 216 to 208 to pass H.R. 2642, which did not include a nutrition title.
“We are proud of Congressman Lucas and his committee for recognizing the immediate need to pass a farm bill that protects the future of American agriculture,” said OKFB President Mike Spradling. “This is the first time in history our lawmakers have had the chance to separate nutrition from the farm bill and focus solely on providing a risk management tool for producers.”
The U.S. House defeated a previous version of the farm bill in June after a controversial debate over the nutrition program section of the bill. During floor debate, U.S. Rep. Lucas pledged to work with his committee to develop a separate nutrition title following the passage of H.R. 2642.
“With the passage of the House farm bill, American farmers are one step closer to knowing what to expect before the fall planting season, and the House Agriculture Committee can go back to debating nutrition assistance programs,” Spradling said.