By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
The Senate named conferees to reconcile the differences in the farm bill legislation by the Senate and the House on Thursday.
Democrat conferees include: Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Senators Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Max Baucus, D-Mont., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. and Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
Republican representatives include: Ranking Member Thad Cochran, R-Miss. and Senators Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., John Boozman, R-Ark., and John Hoeven, R-N.D.
Conferees were named ahead of the August recess. The Senate passed its version of a farm bill in June, while the House passed a farm bill mandate without the nutrition title, in July. The Republican controlled House say a food stamp-only bill is coming. Reports say the House plans to bring a bill forward with $40-billion in cuts, nearly double the $20.5-billion in cuts that were included in the farm bill mandate that failed on the house floor in June.
The 2008 farm bill extension expires on Sept. 30.