Nov. 17, 2023, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted this week to approve a short-term funding bill, avoiding a November 17 government shutdown. The funding legislation, which was proposed by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), funds the government by setting up two deadlines. The first January 19th deadline covers agencies under four appropriations bills: Agriculture-FDA, Energy and Water, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD. The other eight appropriations bills are extended to a February 2nd deadline.
In addition to extending funding and setting up deadlines for appropriations, the legislation includes a 1-year extension of Farm Bill programs at the same levels authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. The legislation also includes funding for a number of “orphan programs” which are small-ticket programs that had expired funding at the end of Fiscal Year 2023.
Although this legislation extends the Farm Bill through September 30, 2024, lawmakers are hopeful that the 2023 Farm Bill will be passed ahead of that deadline. U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement alongside U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-PA) and Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA):
“As negotiations on funding the government progress, we were able to come together to avoid a lapse in funding for critical agricultural programs and provide certainty to producers. This extension is in no way a substitute for passing a 5-year Farm Bill and we remain committed to working together to get it done next year.”
The funding bill passed 336-95 in the U.S. House of Representatives and 87-11 in the U.S. Senate. It now goes to President Biden’s desk for signature ahead of the November 17 government shutdown deadline.
###
The United States Peanut Federation (USPF) is comprised of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, the American Peanut Shellers Association, the National Peanut Buying Points Association, and other organizations. USPF serves as a unified voice in Washington, D.C. for all sectors of the peanut industry and advocates actively for strong agricultural policy.