NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Roger McEowen, the Kansas Farm Bureau Professor of Agricultural Law and Taxation at Washburn University School of Law told Hutch Post that he thinks the Farm Bill will get put off until 2025.
"I'm expecting an extension again, and I'm not sure that that's going to be one of the first things that the new Congress addresses," McEowen said. "I think the lame-duck session will pass on it. There's just too many issues out there for them to come to an agreement between the House and the Senate on a farm bill. They already have it on extension, so there's really no imminent pressure on them right now to get something done."
One thing he thinks will get done is the defense reauthorization, but there are other things that need to be accomplished in December.
"Disaster assistance for such things as hurricanes and wildfires, tornadoes, and the rebuilding of certain types of infrastructure, including the bridge that was collapsed in Baltimore earlier this year," McEowen said."Also, they need to pass a discretionary funding bill, which makes up about 30% of the federal budget. That expires at the end of this year. The deadline on that one has Dec. 20 as the date that they have to must pass that by to avoid a government shutdown."
The election also will change priorities for some in Congress and may move different types of legislation come January.
"The election clearly will result in a ramp up in oil and gas production in the U.S. and a de-emphasis on the less efficient, less reliable, heavily subsidized by taxpayers forms of energy production or generation," McEowen said. "But I can't see the currently constituted Congress pushing that through. They're not in favor of those types of things, so that's going to have to wait until the new administration and the new Congress is seated."
One other thing that the new administration will try to do is reduce the size of the federal government. It remains to be seen how much cutting can happen and where, and what Congress will allow.