By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

“Let us get this done.”

Tuesday morning, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, took the Senate floor to remind his fellow lawmakers of the importance of the farm bill.

“I rise today as the Senate considers legislation on an issue that is critically important to our nation—the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018—the farm bill,” Roberts said. “The goal, the responsibility, the absolute requirement is to provide farmers, ranchers, growers and everyone within America’s agriculture and food value chain certainty and predictability during these very difficult times. This is paramount to many other concerns.”

Monday evening, the Senate voted to move forward with debate on the farm bill in an 89-3 vote.

“It is not an exaggeration to say our nation’s food and fiber production capability hang in the balance with what we do here on this legislation,” Roberts said. “Many of my colleagues have introduced legislation over the last year that addresses priorities and stakeholders in their states.”

The Senate agriculture committee passed its bipartisan draft of farm bill legislation earlier this month in a 20-1 vote.

Roberts said that bill addresses his colleagues’ concerns.

“In fact, the ag committee-passed product includes portions of 65 standalone bills, and an additional 73 amendments were adopted in the committee,” Roberts said.

The chairman encouraged senators to prepare their amendments and work with them to address their concerns.

“We are endeavoring to craft a Farm Bill that meets the needs of producers across all regions and all crops. All of agriculture is struggling, not just one or two commodities. We must have a bill that works across our great nation,” Roberts said. “And we must ensure that our voluntary conservation programs are keeping farm land in operation while protecting our agriculture lands, forests, and other natural resources.”

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, ranking member on the agriculture committee, said it’s more than a farm bill. It’s a jobs bill.

“We stayed focused on strengthening our nation’s diverse agriculture economy and the 16 million jobs it supports,” Stabenow said.

She said its passage is critical to the economy.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas also addressed the Senate, saying the farm bill ensures Americans have access to the safest, cheapest, most reliable food source on the planet.

It is unclear when the chamber will vote on passage of the farm bill.