Administration Continues Calls for Farm Bill

If lawmakers don't act on the farm bill before the end of September - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the political hurdles to passage will grow. He says the risks become much greater after September 30th that the farm bill discussion gets embroiled in conversations of sequester and tax policy. He says that would make a process that should be simple far more complex. Vilsack's comments - which aired on C-SPAN this weekend - went along with President Obama's weekly address. The President listed the steps the administration is taking to provide relief to the agriculture industry during the drought. He added that legislation is needed too - stating Congress needs to pass a farm bill that not only helps farmers and ranchers respond to these kinds of disasters - but also makes necessary reforms and gives them certainty year-round. The President also mentioned the farm bill during a stop in Iowa Monday.

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