For more than two years, Missouri's farmers and ranchers have gone to work each day with lingering uncertainty about our government's agriculture policy.
The recent passage of a comprehensive, bipartisan Farm Bill has finally helped ease that uncertainty.
The compromise agreement is a win for the backbone of Missouri's economy, and one I've tirelessly fought for since before the last Farm Bill expired. It brings much-needed resources to our farm families, boosts jobs and businesses, protects low-income families, and will be a boon to our rural communities - all while cutting billions of dollars in spending.
The bill retains a strong safety net for farmers and ranchers, without unfairly padding the bottom line. It saves millions of dollars in food stamp payments, without installing cruel and unrealistic requirements. And it provides retroactive compensation for losses over the past two years.
This Farm Bill traveled a long road before passing. For the past two years, the U.S. Senate passed a renewal of the Farm Bill with wide bipartisan majorities. The U.S. House - repeatedly unable to pass a comprehensive bill - ultimately split its Farm Bill into two separate pieces and passed them each on party-line votes. After months of negotiations, the House and Senate merged the two bills into a compromise package, which passed the Senate with bipartisan support.
Everyone can find something in this bill to dislike. I certainly did. But often that's the mark of a good compromise, and I hope this is the beginning of a new trend in Congress - and a template for compromise to break the gridlock that has prevented this Congress from the doing work the American people expect of it.
I will continue to work tirelessly for our rural communities and for all Missouri families.
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