By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is soon expected to once again take up its version of the farm bill.

In a recent farm bill panel held in Beeville, U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz of Texas, who sits on the House Ag Committee, gave an update on the food and farm legislation.

“That’s something that is on everybody’s mind right now, and it is the number one question I get when I speak to every single ag group,” De La Cruz told the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network. “I’m going to share with you that I was proud to support the House passage of the farm bill, and I have encouraged my colleagues in the Senate over and over again to do the same.”

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson’s (R-PA) draft of the farm bill passed the U.S. House in a 224 to 200 vote April 30.

The Senate Ag Committee had the option of taking up Thompson’s version of the bill or presenting a different draft.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman of Arkansas (R-AR) released a draft similar to Thompson’s but with a few changes, namely, it includes a provision that allows year-round sales of E-15 blended gasoline year-round.

That bill failed in committee in a 10 to 11 party line vote just before lawmakers left for the August district work period.

Boozman said he plans for the committee to reconsider the bill the week of Sept. 14.

“It is so important that our senators pick up the bill and put it on the president’s desk. Vote yes for it,” De La Cruz said.

In addition to De La Cruz, the panel included representatives from TFB, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA).

The speakers emphasized the need for a modernized farm bill and continuing investments in conservation, research, rural development and trade promotion.

De La Cruz told the farm bill panel several of her provisions were included in the House draft and will hopefully be included in the final farm bill.

“It was really important to me because four of my bills were included in the House version of the farm bill, and those bills included the Texas Agriculture Producers Assistance Act, the Southern Border Farmers and Ranchers Protection Act and the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act,” De La Cruz said. “It’s so important that we keep the cattle fever tick eradication at the top of our mind, even as we’re juggling New World Screwworm and pasture mealybug.”

The Texas Agricultural Producers Assistance Act addresses losses farmers in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas have suffered due to Mexico’s non-compliance with the 1944 Water Treaty.

The Southern Border Farmers and Ranchers Protection Act authorizes payments under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to assist farmers and ranchers with repairing damage to farming infrastructure caused by illegal activity along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act would require USDA to enter a contract to evaluate the eradication program with a land-grant college or university or non-land grant college of agriculture.

At the panel, Scott Frazier, former TFB state director and South Texas farmer, also underlined the need for Congress to provide immediate economic assistance to help producers weather current market conditions.

Both the House and Senate are out-of-session this week due to Labor Day.

The Senate is expected to return the week of Sept. 14, which is when Boozman hopes to bring the Senate Ag Committee back in to reconsider the farm bill.