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Stabenow on a new farm bill: “I’m an optimist”

The ranking Senate Ag committee member says she can’t give away too many details but expects there will be a new farm bill this year, even as the September deadline has passed and differences remain, “We’ll work through it. I’m an optimist!”

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow tells Brownfield she is committed to helping Midwest farmers, “The chairman of the House (Mike Conaway) is from West Texas and I understand he’s advocating for cotton and his people but he dramatically shifts dollars away from the Midwest to cotton in the south in a way that it’s just not fair.”

She says the lack of an Energy Title in the House farm bill is a concern. Other sticking points remain with the commodity title, the conservation title, and changes to SNAP. Stabenow says there’s funding to keep the current farm bill going until the end of this year but she’s hopeful Congress won’t have to sign a one-year extension.

AUDIO: Interview with Debbie Stabenow~