Rep. Mann Discusses Farm Bill Progress at Kansas State Fair

Photo byFederico RespinionUnsplash

Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann was present at the Kansas State Fair on Saturday, where he spoke with local media about the ongoing legislative work required before the federal fiscal year ends on September 30. With Congress reconvening this week, Mann highlighted the momentum building towards a potential extension of the current Farm Bill.

"We go back for votes in D.C. this week," Mann stated. "The House is in session the next three weeks here in September. It looks like there is momentum to do some kind of an extension. We'll know a lot more once we get to Washington D.C. this week and talk about what the plan is and what we do to fund the government moving forward."

The five-year Farm Bill, which was already extended for an additional year, may see another extension as discussions continue. Mann expressed his frustration with the slow progress, noting that he has made multiple appeals on the House floor to expedite the process.

"I've been frustrated at how slow this farm bill process has been," Mann said. "I've been to the floor 33 times imploring members of Congress to get serious about getting a five-year Farm Bill done. It looks like, potentially, there'll be an extension. The House passed a really good version out of the House Ag Committee, that still needs to go to the floor and we need to conference with the Senate. Unfortunately, there's still a long way to go on the Farm Bill."

Looking ahead, Mann touched on the political uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections and its potential impact on the Farm Bill and the House Agriculture Committee’s control.

"The political question is will the House Ag Committee continue under Republican control of the gavel? In other words, will Republicans still be in the House majority come January 2025?" Mann pondered. "We're going to find out in November. Elections have consequences. It sure seems like Republicans are going to continue to have the majority in the House. I'm optimistic they will in the Senate as well, and win the White House, but we'll have to see what happens in November."

Mann also noted that the most likely scenario for the Farm Bill and other pending legislative work is to extend discussions until the next Congress is seated, allowing members to focus on their upcoming campaigns.