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Vilsack Urges Congress To Speed Farm Bill

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was in farm country Monday continuing to push Congress to send a farm bill to President Obama’s desk.

Vilsack doesn’t consider extending the farm bill beyond the September 30 expiration a sound option.

At a summit in Ames, Ia. sponsored by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Vilsack repeated a common refrain: the bill encompasses food, farm and jobs policies and affects many more Americans than just farmers and recipients of nutrition assistance. Vilsack says he wants Congress to make long-term decisions now rather than ending up with another one year extension.

“Honestly, an extension removes any impetus for getting a farm bill done,” says Vilsack.

Plus, Vilsack says writing the bill isn’t going to get easier.

“The challenge and the risk of not getting it done this year is that you’re not likely to get it done in an election year as we saw in 2012,” says Vilsack. “And then if you don’t get it done in the election year, then you have a new Congress.”

But with the August Congressional recess looming, Vilsack says time appears to be running out. 

Amy Mayer is a reporter based in Ames. She covers agriculture and is part of the Harvest Public Media collaboration. Amy worked as an independent producer for many years and also previously had stints as weekend news host and reporter at WFCR in Amherst, Massachusetts and as a reporter and host/producer of a weekly call-in health show at KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Amy’s work has earned awards from SPJ, the Alaska Press Club and the Massachusetts/Rhode Island AP. Her stories have aired on NPR news programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition and on Only A Game, Marketplace and Living on Earth. She produced the 2011 documentary Peace Corps Voices, which aired in over 160 communities across the country and has written for The New York Times, Boston Globe, Real Simple and other print outlets. Amy served on the board of directors of the Association of Independents in Radio from 2008-2015.
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