Lucas: House members outside Ag committee need educating
August 01, 2013 | 05:57 PM
In a speech that was overwhelmed by his announcement that the House is expected to take up a bill to cut food stamp benefits by $40 billion over 10 years, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., told agriculture lobbyists today that members of the House who had not voted on a farm bill this year still need more education on its importance.
In the politest of language, Lucas told the Agribusiness Club, “We might not have worked lobbying on final passage as [hard as] we did our particular language” related to amendments.
Lucas said he and House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., had the votes to pass the bill the night before it failed on the House floor, and that he believed they still had the votes the morning of the bill’s final consideration.
But after all the amendments made on June 20, he said, “we didn’t quite have the vote.”
“I’m still disappointed some of my friends voted to help me and voted with me several times but weren’t with me in the end,” Lucas said, referring to the fact that some members had voted with him on amendments but not on final passage.
In what could be a reference to lobbying by Heritage Action and the Club for Growth against the bill, Lucas said, “We had challenges going on with emails” as final passage approached.
Seeming to refer to the entire agriculture community, Lucas said, “We did our work in committee, but when we got to the floor we had a problem.” Not all of the newer members had gone to the briefings or seemed to understand the issues, he said.
Lucas said he still hopes the Senate and the House can achieve consensus on a farm bill and pass a conference report.
“I don’t ask for a landslide,” he said, “just 51 in the Senate and 218 or the magic number in the House,” a reference to the fact that the House requires a majority of members voting that day to pass a bill.
Lucas also noted that his colleagues are nervous about efforts to change the Renewable Fuel Standard — a measure that would be handled in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, not Agriculture — but he said they should be just as concerned about the “most amazing corn crop” that may be on the way.
Noting that farmers this year have planted the most acres to corn since 1936, he said that “if Mother Nature chooses to cooperate, we may have a lot of grain in 12, 24 or 36 months’ time.”
“If anyone thinks that one commodity doesn’t impact others, you haven’t paid close attention,” Lucas said. “That major feed grain has an effect on other commodities.”
Alluding to the potential impact on rural America if the price of corn goes down, he said, “You write a farm bill not just for today, tomorrow or 18 months from now, you write a farm bill to address the unforeseen over the Hill. Weather is the most uncertain thing for my farmers and myself.”
In the politest of language, Lucas told the Agribusiness Club, “We might not have worked lobbying on final passage as [hard as] we did our particular language” related to amendments.
Lucas said he and House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., had the votes to pass the bill the night before it failed on the House floor, and that he believed they still had the votes the morning of the bill’s final consideration.
But after all the amendments made on June 20, he said, “we didn’t quite have the vote.”
“I’m still disappointed some of my friends voted to help me and voted with me several times but weren’t with me in the end,” Lucas said, referring to the fact that some members had voted with him on amendments but not on final passage.
In what could be a reference to lobbying by Heritage Action and the Club for Growth against the bill, Lucas said, “We had challenges going on with emails” as final passage approached.
Seeming to refer to the entire agriculture community, Lucas said, “We did our work in committee, but when we got to the floor we had a problem.” Not all of the newer members had gone to the briefings or seemed to understand the issues, he said.
Lucas said he still hopes the Senate and the House can achieve consensus on a farm bill and pass a conference report.
“I don’t ask for a landslide,” he said, “just 51 in the Senate and 218 or the magic number in the House,” a reference to the fact that the House requires a majority of members voting that day to pass a bill.
Lucas also noted that his colleagues are nervous about efforts to change the Renewable Fuel Standard — a measure that would be handled in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, not Agriculture — but he said they should be just as concerned about the “most amazing corn crop” that may be on the way.
Noting that farmers this year have planted the most acres to corn since 1936, he said that “if Mother Nature chooses to cooperate, we may have a lot of grain in 12, 24 or 36 months’ time.”
“If anyone thinks that one commodity doesn’t impact others, you haven’t paid close attention,” Lucas said. “That major feed grain has an effect on other commodities.”
Alluding to the potential impact on rural America if the price of corn goes down, he said, “You write a farm bill not just for today, tomorrow or 18 months from now, you write a farm bill to address the unforeseen over the Hill. Weather is the most uncertain thing for my farmers and myself.”
