Feenstra expects Farm Bill discussions to go beyond deadline

SIOUX CITY — Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says there are a lot issues left to resolve and the chair of the House Ag Committee has told them they will not pass the 2023 Farm Bill by the September 30th deadline.

“But we will do an extension and we will get it done probably in October or early November,” he says.

Feenstra is a Republican from Hull representing the Fourth District, which includes Franklin, Winnebago, Hancock, Wright and Kossuth counties in the KGLO News listening area. He says the U.S. Senate is also working to get its version of the bill completed. “We all believe that we will get it done at some point in November — and it will be collaborative. I mean it will be both Democrats and Republicans coming together, always has been and this bill will be the same way,” Feenstra says.

Feenstra says he has concerns about what will be in the final bill. “There’s a lot of people trying to encroach we have specialty crops out of California and New York that want more dollars. There’s more dollars they want to go to the nutrition program,” Feenstra says. “But first and foremost for us is protecting our insurance protecting our conservation, our research, our trade, that affects our producers right here in western Iowa.”

Feenstra made his comments after visiting with members of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.