Whether you watched the elections closely or not, those who work in agriculture are likely interested in how any changes in Washington will affect their industry and business. The midterm elections, considered by some to be a referendum on President Trump’s administration so far, resulted in the House of Representatives being controlled by Democrats, while Republicans in the Senate saw increases. We’ve put together a party-neutral analysis of what midterm results mean for farmers and what action may be coming soon from Washington.
Bipartisanship is necessary
Agweek conducted interviews with a variety of industry (and Washington) experts after the elections. Several of them concurred that a bipartisan approach will be necessary to get any farm or agriculture legislation passed. Now that both houses of Congress are not under Republican control, any agriculture legislation will need to have supporters in both parties.
More hope for the farm bill
Farm programs are currently funded under a bill that expires in 2018. While a bill has been in the works, it has not been passed yet. According to Delta Farm Press, experts - including Shawn Holladay, Lubbock cotton farmer and chairman of the American Cotton Producers (ACP) of the National Cotton Council (NCC) - believe there is hope to get a new farm bill passed soon.
No need for panic
Agriculture experts don’t see any reason to panic about the 2018 midterm election results. Many have stated they have good relationships with legislators in both political parties, and agriculture is largely an issue with bipartisan support. Educating new legislators about the essential role that farmers and agriculture plays in our nation will be the largest hurdle, as described by Delta Farm Press. While there will be changes in committee chairs and other processes, the outlook is still positive overall for agriculture legislation in government.