Following yesterday’s passage in the Senate, the House voted today in favor of a conference report for the 2018 Farm Bill, sending the legislation to President Trump’s desk for final approval. The American Sugar Alliance released the following statement about the bill’s passage:
“Low prices, extreme weather, foreign subsidies and unfair trade practices abroad have made the past several years challenging for U.S. agriculture, including America’s sugar farmers and the 142,000 U.S. workers they support. This Farm Bill will help producers recover during these challenging times and should be a boost for rural communities from coast to coast.
“We want to thank Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Congressmen Mike Conaway (R-TX) and Collin Peterson (D-MN), and all of the Conference Committee members for working tirelessly to produce a bipartisan bill that will keep America’s farm safety net strong. We also appreciate the efforts of sugar producers’ numerous supporters, who fought to maintain a strong no-cost sugar policy.”
The Senate voted 87-13 in support of the Farm Bill, and the House approved it by a 369-47 vote. The legislation now heads to the White House, where it is expected to be signed into law.
Sugar producers also expressed thanks to the President and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for publicly supporting the bipartisan Farm Bill that Congress crafted.