"For over 40 years, the Farm Bill has been crafted by a strong bipartisan, urban/rural coalition, which recognized that shared relationship between those who produce our food, and communities which provide markets to buy the food from our producers.  Rather than following a proven model, built on bipartisan cooperation and deliberative debate, the House GOP leadership has decided to cede control of the House floor to the most extreme wing of their caucus.  At midnight last night, the Speaker introduced a partial farm bill package that has never previously been considered - neither on the House floor or Committee – which was voted on less than 12 hours later.  For these reasons, I could not support H.R. 2642 which has no path forward to become law.

Earlier this month, 523 agriculture organizations, from across the entire nation and Texas, requested Speaker Boehner to bring a comprehensive farm bill package to the floor.  According to those 532 organization, they “believe that splitting the nutrition title from the rest of the bill could result in neither farm nor nutrition programs passing, and urge you to move a unified farm bill forward.”  I agree, and I remain fully committed to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner, to craft a farm bill that includes agriculture policy from our nation’s farmland to our nation’s dinner tables.   

There exists a coalition of members in the House or Representatives that are prepared to pass a truly comprehensive package, and I urge Speaker Boehner to follow a model of bipartisan compromise to ensure American farmers and families both are served by this legislation.  I strongly encourage the House leadership to engage with the Senate, and bring legislation to the floor that will lead to conference committee, and ultimately passage into law."