By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

A group of Republican Congressmen and women from Texas is urging U.S. House GOP leadership to make passing a new farm bill by the end of the year a priority.

“Farmers and ranchers do not have the luxury of waiting until next Congress for the enactment of an effective farm bill,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Elise Stefanik, chair of the Republican Conference. “Inflation has driven production costs to the highest on record, meanwhile commodity prices across the board have fallen precipitously, creating a severe margin squeeze on farm and ranch families.”

The lawmakers pointed to a $34 billion projected loss in crop cash receipts that is expected to result in the sharpest two-year decline in net cash farm income in U.S. history.

“These factors show no signs of abating for all major commodities,” they wrote. “Yet, despite the overwhelming increase in production costs, declining commodity cash receipts and the record-breaking decline in net cash farm income, without intervention, federal support provided to agriculture in 2024 is projected to reach its lowest level since 1982, a year that presaged the farm financial crisis of the mid-1980s.”

The letter said the 118th Congress has an opportunity to do right by farmers, ranchers and other agricultural stakeholders, rural communities and taxpayers by putting more farm back in the farm bill and making reforms and investments in all 12 titles of the food and farm legislation.

The lawmakers wrote the version of the farm bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee in May does just that.

“This legislation is the product of input received at seven House Committee on Agriculture hosted listening sessions, and numerous round tables and town halls across the country, is reflective of the over 2,600 priorities submitted to the Committee on Agriculture by 172 members of the Republican conference,” they wrote.

The letter noted the bill is supported by hundreds of stakeholder organizations and is “worthy of our time, attention and effort as the 118th Congress comes to a close.”

Failing to pass a farm bill by the end of the year, they wrote, will impact more than just agriculture.

“The negative impacts of failing to act will not just stop at the farm gate, but will also hit Main Street businesses, rural communities and the national economy,” the lawmakers wrote. “Among some commodities and regions, calamitous impacts in farm country, such as those felt during the crisis of the 1980s, are a genuine possibility. Therefore, we respectfully urge that the enactment of HR 8467, or similar legislation that makes meaningful investments in farmers, ranchers and rural communities, is among the top priorities of the Republican Conference, and that this be considered a ‘must-pass’ item in the lame duck session.”

The letter was signed by the following lawmakers from Texas: Reps. August Pfluger, John Carter, Pete Sessions, Pat Fallon, Jake Ellzey, Lance Gooden, Tony Gonzales, Kay Granger, Keith Self, Monica De La Cruz, Ronny Jackson, Michael McCaul, Jodey Arrington, Brian Babin, Nathaniel Moran, Morgan Luttrell, Randy Weber and Dan Crenshaw.

The single-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expires at the end of September.

Congress is out of session Sept. 28 through Nov. 12.