Debbie Stabenow Tees Up Farm Bill for Next Month
Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said today that the farm bill will come to the floor next month after the Senate finishes a measure on equal pay for women.
Though the Michigan Democrat has struggled to cobble together a bill that meets the concerns of different areas of the country, she said she has a filibuster-proof 60 votes. However, she noted that she will continue to address any issues that arise once it is on the floor or after it is passed and heads over to the House.
One Senate Democratic aide said Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pledged to bring up the bill as the second order of business when the Senate returns from next week’s Memorial Day recess.
The aide noted that passage of the farm bill could be a huge boon to Stabenow, who is up for re-election this year and is likely to use the fact that the measure shaves $23 billion from the debt in her campaign ads.