Press Releases
October 22, 2007
Ag Panel Nears Vote on Farm Bill, Conrad Says
Senator to Brief Governor on Legislation
Washington– With the Senate Agriculture Committee poised to approve a new five-year Farm Bill, Senator Kent Conrad said he will be briefing North Dakota Governor John Hoeven on details of the legislation following final negotiations with top lawmakers.
Senator Conrad is set to appear at a press conference Tuesday with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, respectively. Those three senators have been at the heart of negotiations framing the important bill. Senator Conrad is also expected to host Governor Hoeven for a briefing in the Senator’s Capitol Hill office.
“I’ve been focused like a laser on the Farm Bill for months because there’s probably no bill more important to North Dakota’s economy than the Farm Bill,” Senator Conrad said. “We have the framework for a deal in place and we’re looking at a vote by the Agriculture Committee on Wednesday. I’m pleased to talk to the governor about the details that we’ve ironed out here.”
As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Conrad will be voting in Wednesday’s mark-up of the Farm Bill. The bill is expected to pass; it will be considered for passage by the full Senate as early as next week. Following that, a House-Senate conference committee of negotiators will be appointed to iron out differences between the Senate farm bill and the legislation passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives.
Senator Conrad is expected to be named to that conference committee.
