BOEHNER OFFICIALLY ‘PUNTS’ ON FARM BILL

CNN: House GOP Punts On Farm Bill. “House Republican leaders announced Thursday they will not take action on a new farm bill until after the November elections — a sign of sharp internal GOP divisions on a critical political issue for many members of Congress.” [CNN, 9/20/12]

Washington Times: Farm Bill Left to Die On Vine before Recess. “The situation leaves lawmakers — particularly Republicans in the House where the measure has indefinitely stalled — fretting about having to face voters without the popular subsidies in hand.” [Washington Times, 9/20/12]

LOCAL PAPERS CONTINUE TO HAMMER HOUSE GOP INACTION

Great Falls (MT) Tribune: Stalled Farm Bill Gives Ammo to Democrats. “The failure of the Republican-controlled House to pass a new farm bill is providing fresh fodder for Democratic candidates in South Dakota and other rural states seeking to woo swing voters ahead of the November election. … House GOP leaders have been unwilling to bring either bill to a vote for fear that they do not have the 218 votes needed to pass it.” [Great Falls Tribune, 9/21/12]

Jamestown (ND) Sun: Farm Bill Fumble? Area Farm Group Leaders: Congress Dropped The Ball. “Frustration. Disappointment. Uncertainty. Those are the words that area farmers and farm group leaders are using to describe their reaction to the failed effort to pass a new farm bill before the Sept. 30 deadline. Some producers are particularly concerned about the future of federally subsidized crop insurance.” [Jamestown Sun, 9/21/12]

Bismarck (ND) Tribune: “Republican House Leadership Has Since Refused To Bring The Bill To The Floor” “A House version of the bill passed out of committee on July 12 but Republican House leadership has since refused to bring the bill to the floor.” [Bismarck Tribune, 9/21/12]

Missouri News Horizon: Missouri Lawmakers Frustrated as Plug Gets Pulled on Farm Bill. “There will be no help for Missouri’s drought-strapped farmers coming from Washington before Election Day. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner officially pulled the plug on ag legislation Thursday.” [Missouri News Horizon, 9/20/12]

Des Moines (IA) Register: U.S. House Puts Off Action On Farm Bill Until After November Vote. “U.S. House Speaker John Boehner confirmed Thursday that the farm bill won’t be passed before the November election, another blow toward efforts to complete the legislation before the current law expires. Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., are reluctant to call for a vote on that chamber’s bill or the one passed by the Senate because they don’t believe they have the 218 votes necessary to pass either.” [Des Moines Register, 9/20/12]

Radio Iowa: Republican Leaders “Refuse to Schedule Votes on the Farm Bill”“Republican leaders in the U.S. House have scheduled a vote this week on a legislation to help the coal industry, but refused to schedule votes on the Farm Bill or on legislation to extend a key tax credit for the wind industry.” [Radio Iowa, 9/20/12]

HOUSE GOP STILL IN CHAOS …

BuzzFeed: On Farm Bill, “GOP Remains No Closer” To Resolving Internal Dispute.“Despite months of negotiations amongst House Republicans over the $1.2 trillion farm bill reauthorization – which includes federal food stamp funding – the GOP remains no closer to resolving an internal dispute between farm state lawmakers and fiscal hawks bent on cutting spending.” [BuzzFeed, 9/14/12]

Politico: House GOP’s handling of farm bill “spiral[ing] downward.” “…The House farm bill debate spirals downward and Republicans prepare to go home Friday without acting on the bipartisan five-year plan reported in July. [Politico, 9/17/12]

HOME-STATE PAPERS ARE PAYING ATTENTION …

Grand Folks (ND) Herald Editorial: Farm Bill Bottled up by House Republican Leaders.“The new Farm Bill remains bottled up by House leaders, even though the current one expires in two weeks. Contrast that with the Senate, where a comparable bill passed the full membership, also by a bipartisan supermajority. Why won’t Republican leaders even let the House vote? The answer is that they’re ideologues (or in thrall to an ideological caucus) and scorn even effective programs that seem to be arms of ‘big government.’” [Grand Forks Herald, 9/17/12]

Omaha World-Herald: Farm Bill Has “Sown Disagreement” Among Republicans.“Deadline pressure to pass the farm bill has sown disagreement among even the Midlands Republicans who typically work together on a bill vital to their districts.” [Omaha World-Herald, 9/15/12]

Waterville (ME) Morning Sentinel: “House Republican Leaders Have Yet To Allow A Floor Vote, Apparently Because Of Divisions Within Their Own Ranks.” “Competing versions of a farm bill — which encompasses everything from crop subsidies to disaster relief and food stamps — have passed the full Senate and the House Agriculture Committee. But House Republican leaders have yet to allow a floor vote, apparently because of divisions within their own ranks (even though the bill is widely believed to have enough votes to pass, albeit with Democratic help).” [Morning Sentinel, 9/17/12]

Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle Editorial: Farm Bill Stalled in the House Thanks to Tea Party. “Take the Farm Bill, which expires at the end of this month. The Senate passed a five-year version of a new bill back in June. But the measure has stalled in the House, where the tea party branch of the Republican majority wants deeper cuts in food stamp spending.” [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 9/15/12]

River Bend (IL) Telegraph Editorial: “The Full House Has Not Done Its Job” “The Senate has done its job and voted on the 557-page proposal and its 100 amendments. The House Agriculture Committee has done its job and sent the proposal to the full House. That’s where it has sat, gathering moss and venom because the full House has not done its job.” [Telegraph,9/18/12]

‘INTRA-PARTY WAR’ ENSUES AS DEADLINE LOOMS FOR ACTION ON FARM BILL …

Buzzfeed: “Intraparty War Between Farm-State Republicans And Fiscal Conservatives.” “Congress is poised to leave thousands of drought-stricken farmers without critical federal assistance, due to an intraparty war between farm-state Republicans and fiscal conservatives adamantly opposed to further spending.” [BuzzFeed, 9/11/12]

Politico: “Divisions Are Surfacing More Among House Republicans.” “With farmers rallying at the Capitol Wednesday and the Senate showing no appetite for disaster aid substitutes, divisions are surfacing more among House Republicans over their leadership’s decision to block action on a five-year farm bill.” [Politico,9/11/12]

The Hill: ‘House Leaders Unwilling to Bring Farm Bill to the Floor.’ “The House Agriculture Committee and the Senate have passed five-year bills authorizing hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on food stamps and the farm safety net, but House leaders have not yet shown a willingness to bring a version of the legislation to the floor.” [The Hill, 9/12/12]

GOP LAWMAKERS ‘MAKING A STINK’ ABOUT LEADERS’ INACTION …

Rep. Noem Pushes Leadership to Consider Farm Bill. “Rep. Kristi Noem, a South Dakota freshman at the leadership table, made a stink about Congress’s inaction on the bill, according to several sources.” [Politico, 9/12/12]

Rep. Rick Berg ‘Hurt Politically At Home’ By Farm Bill Impasse. “Freshman Rep. Rick Berg (R-N.D.)… has been hurt politically at home by the farm bill impasse…” [Politico, 9/11/12]

Sen. Jerry Moran to House Republicans: Stop Sitting on the Sidelines. “Don’t sit on the sidelines and say, ‘Oh no, we can’t do this because there’s something wrong with the farm bill.’” [Press Conference, 9/12/12]

AP: Republicans Pull Farm Bill “Amid Continued Resistance from Many Conservatives…” “But GOP leaders pulled that measure from Wednesday’s floor schedule amid continued resistance from many conservatives and after Democrats announced opposition to the measure.” [AP, 8/1/12]

Politico: Boehner Has Blocked the Farm Bill “For Fear Of A Messy Fight Dividing His Party.” “The Senate approved its farm bill in June, but Boehner has so far blocked House action for fear of a messy fight dividing his party.” [Politico, 8/1/12]

The Hill: Boehner “Want[ed] to Avoid Intraparty Battle” On Farm Bill. “Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his lieutenants, wanting to avoid an intraparty battle on a $957 billion five-year bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee, scheduled a vote on a one-year farm program extension that includes drought relief provisions. [The Hill, 7/30/12]

New York Times: “Republican Leaders Have Found Themselves Caught In A Squeeze Between Their Party’s Most Ardent Conservatives And Drought-Ridden Farmers…”“The House speaker, John A. Boehner, and other Republican leaders have found themselves caught in a squeeze between their party’s most ardent conservatives and drought-ridden farmers, with just days left before a monthlong August recess.” [NY Times, 7/30/12]

Politico: Boehner Pulled Farm Bill Extension “Facing Certain Defeat…” “Facing certain defeat, Republicans pulled their one-year farm bill extension from the House docket late Tuesday in favor of a narrower $383 million disaster aid package to address the immediate needs of drought-stricken livestock producers.” [Politico, 8/1/12]

CALLS GROW INSIDE BOEHNER’S OWN PARTY TO VOTE ON FIVE YEAR FARM BILL…

Sen. Coats (R-IN) Urged the House “To Follow this Body in Passing the Farm Bill”: “First of all, while it is beyond our jurisdiction here, and perhaps it is a little bit out of line for me to talk about this, I am urging the Congress, specifically in this case the House of Representatives, to follow this body in passing the farm bill.” [Floor Remarks, 7/25/12]

Sen. Grassley (R-IA) Said “We Should Not Delay Any Longer. The Farm Bill is Too Important to All Americans to Leave it in Limbo…” “So I say mostly to the other body, because right now that is where the action is and where we hope it will take place, we should not delay any longer. The farm bill is too important to all Americans to leave it in limbo. We need to get a farm bill to the President.” [Floor Remarks, 7/25/12]

Sen. Hoeven (R-ND) Called on “Our House Colleagues to Act on the Farm Bill…” “But Senator Coats also made a very important point a few minutes ago; that is, we already have farmers and ranchers–our producers–in a situation where they face difficult times because of the drought. So I join him in calling on our House colleagues to act on the farm bill. I think it is very important we pass a farm bill, as we have in the Senate.” [Floor Remarks, 7/25/12]

38 House Republicans Urged House Leadership to Pass A Farm Bill Before August Recess. “The message from our constituents and rural America is clear: we need a farm bill now. We ask that you bring a farm bill up before the August District Work Period so that the House will have the opportunity to work its will. We ask that you make this legislation a priority of the House as it is critically important to rural and urban Americans alike.” [Letter to House Leadership, 7/19/12]

Rep. Rick Berg (R-ND) Said “Now Is The Time For The House To Act” on the Farm Bill.“North Dakota farmers and ranchers need the stability that this farm bill can bring, and it needs to be a long term authorization. Now is the time for the house to act.” [Floor Remarks,7/19/12]

Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) Said “Congress Needs to Address these Issues Now…” “The legislation is not perfect, and I’ll keep working to improve it, but Congress needs to address these issues now before the current law expires to prevent unnecessary hardships on the folks in Montana hit by drought conditions.” [Press Release, 7/20/12]

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid spoke on the Senate floor today regarding the Agriculture Jobs Bill. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

At a time when too many of the products we buy are made overseas, America can be satisfied so much of the food we eat is grown right here at home.

The American agriculture industry boasted a $42 billion trade surplus last year – greater than any other sector of our economy.

Our farmers are the most productive in the world, exporting $136 billion worth of their yield last year.

In an era of economic uncertainty, America’s agriculture industry supports 16 million much-needed jobs in this country.

So Congress must give farmers the certainty they need to keep the industry thriving.

I commend Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Pat Roberts – the chairwoman and ranking member of the Agriculture Committee – for crafting a strong, bipartisan agriculture bill.

This measure will create jobs and cut subsidies.

It includes important reforms that make farm and Food Stamp programs more accountable and more defensible.

With more farmers seek new global markets for their products than ever before, this bill supports rural farm jobs as well as urban manufacturing jobs.

It will help new farmers – especially those who have served their country in the Armed Forces – access the capital and training they need to build successful businesses.

The legislation helps local farmers sell their products where they grow them – connecting farms, schools and communities.

And it saves $23 billion, which will be used to reduce the deficit.

I know there are a number of Democratic and Republican Senators who wish to offer amendments to this legislation.

I have confidence in the leadership of Senators Stabenow and Roberts, and look forward to working quickly and cooperatively to pass a bill that creates jobs, cuts subsidies and reduces the deficit while protecting American farmers.

Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse

The dedicated officers of the U.S. Capitol Police keep safe members of Congress, our staffs and the millions of visitors from around the world who visit the Capitol grounds each year.

For the last 6 years, Chief of Police Phillip D. Morse, Sr. has led that effort.

He’s spent more than half his life on the Capitol Police force, and I think he’s earned a break.

Today Chief Morse retires after 28 years serving and protecting the United States Capitol.

I thank him for his service and congratulate him on a job well done.