Work by Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) to ensure that the United States continues to have access to a safe and abundant source of food and fiber by passing the Farm Bill, H.R. 2642, was highlighted at a recent Ripon Society breakfast discussion focusing on members of Congress who find solutions instead of seeking publicity.
Lucas serves as the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, which provides oversight of the USDA and its agencies and programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, Disaster Assistance, Rural Development, Livestock Compensation, and Crop Insurance and Food Safety. The committee also has jurisdiction over the Food and Drug Administration and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
The Farm Bill – the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 – is meant to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018.
“It’s an important piece of legislation,” Lucas, a lifelong rancher, said. “Not only does it ensure us the production of, but it also ensures us the ability to consume the healthiest, most affordable, safest food supply in the history of the world.
“In comparison to the previous Farm Bill, we want to spend $60 billion less and yet meet our obligations to provide both a safety net for the production and a safety net for the consumption of food. That’s not been without challenges. But understand this – the principle of the bill is we’re going to help everybody that needs help. But you have to play by the rules.”