What I’m going to tell you today likely won’t come as much of a surprise to those of you who follow U.S. agriculture and foreign assistance legislation closely: It is very, very unlikely that the U.S. Congress will pass a farm bill before the deadline of Sept. 30.
The farm bill, which needs to be authorized every five years, is contentious because it governs a host of domestic food and agriculture programs here in the U.S., including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and crop insurance. But it also governs U.S. foreign food assistance programs, including authorizing key programs to fund school meals, providing both emergency and nonemergency food aid, and the donation of U.S. commodities that are distributed as food or sold to fund projects.
Congress just returned to Washington from its August recess, and they have an incredibly full plate. In addition to being the farm bill deadline, Sept. 30 is also the deadline to pass appropriations bills that will fund the government and avert a shutdown — much higher stakes.
About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
