“In the aggregate, yes, we’ll get beat to death going home without having done something, but most of these guys on this floor don’t represent rural districts, and they’re not going to face anybody affected by this,” said Rep. Mike Conaway, a member of the Agriculture Committee.
The other groups included the American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers Federation, National Sunflower Association, United Fresh Produce Association, U.S. Canola Association, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council and Western Growers.
Late Wednesday, the Senate showed no sign of flinching, and it was not clear that House GOP leaders would have the votes to approve their own measure, which faces a two-thirds threshold for passage. If the House were to change the offset structure of the bill, however, they could put increased pressure on the Senate to take up their bill.
Though a rarity during the past year and a half, recent Congresses have approved emergency aid bills without offsets, and House Republicans earlier this year agreed to an extension of the payroll tax cut that was not paid for.
To make matters more complicated, because the current drought is persistent, the costs of aid continues to increase every day, and according to sources, has increased even since the Senate passed its bill.
There are significant political points to be scored, particularly in close races across the Midwest, on the farm assistance issue.
Senate leaders have long felt as if they had the upper hand in the negotiations with the House on the bill, considering that the House gave up on trying to approve a one-year extension.
House sources gave no indication they intend to pass a clean aid bill without the controversial offsets, but if they were to do so, Democrats still may not go along for fear of losing leverage on the longer-term bill. The five-year extension likely will face opposition from House conservatives, especially without the drought aid sweetener.
When asked whether passing the disaster aid bill would make it more difficult to convince his conservative colleagues to back a long-term farm bill, Conaway demurred.
“Well, that kind of second-guessing doesn’t do us any good. We’re going to pass it tomorrow, if it doesn’t get the two-third votes, then we’ll see,” said the Texas Republican, who helped approve a five-year bill out of committee.
“But we’ve got to pass a five-year bill, we’ve got to find 218 votes whether they’re conservatives, liberals, or whatever in the House and that’s not easy under any circumstances,” Conaway said.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
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