Klobuchar is a member of the Farm Bill conference committee, which is responsible for crafting final Farm Bill legislation 

Klobuchar also spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate today to highlight the bill’s bipartisan support as well as the critical role it plays in supporting the country’s economy 

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar said that today’s first meeting of the Farm Bill conference committee is an important step towards passing a long-term Farm Bill. Klobuchar is a member of the conference committee, which is responsible for crafting the final version of the legislation. Today Klobuchar also spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to highlight the bill’s bipartisan support as well as the critical role it plays in supporting Minnesota and the nation’s economy. Klobuchar is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and worked to create the Senate version of the bill, which passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support.

“Today’s first meeting of the Farm Bill conference committee is a long time coming and an important step forward in our effort to pass a long-term, comprehensive Farm Bill,” Klobuchar said. “I worked hard in the Senate to craft legislation that received bipartisan support, and as a member of the conference committee I will continue to work with my colleagues to make sure this gets done so our farmers and ranchers have the certainty they need to succeed.”

The Senate Farm Bill reduces the deficit by $24 billion, strengthens the crop insurance program, eliminates direct payments, supports dairy producers, and includes nutrition programs for Minnesota families, a strong energy title as well as strong conservation programs.

Klobuchar successfully included a number of provisions in the Senate bill to support Minnesota’s farmers and ranchers, including an amendment to fund regional conservation efforts, provide support to agricultural research, to address the backlog of Rural Development waste water loans, and support the Rural Energy for America (REAP) program. The bill also includes two of Klobuchar’s provisions to help beginning farmers and ranchers. The first would help them access crop insurance, while the second would allow beginning producers to graze cattle on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres without a reduction in payments for the CRP landowner. Klobuchar also fought to include provisions help pork and poultry producers reduce catastrophic losses, as well as address captive shipping in rural communities.

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