10.04.13

Hoeven Hopeful Boehner Will Appoint Farm Bill Conferees Next Week

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today spoke with Speaker of the House John Boehner, emphasizing the importance of passing a new farm bill in timely fashion and the need for the House to appoint its conferees to the joint committee that will resolve differences between the Senate and House passed versions of the bill.

“Based on my conversation with Speaker Boehner, I’m hopeful that he will appoint conferees next week,” Hoeven said. “I believe the farm bill – and programs like it – can be a part of the debt ceiling solution because it can provide real savings toward the deficit. In the case of the farm bill, that means more than $24 billion in savings.”

Hoeven this week was again named to the conference committee charged with negotiating an agreement on a 2013 farm bill. The House had passed its version of the farm bill in July, but chose to address the nutrition title in a separate bill, which wasn’t passed until last month. Last week, the two bills were reincorporated, which necessitated the Senate to reappoint conferees. Hoeven, a member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, has worked in the past two sessions to pass a long-term farm bill.