House to Take Up Extension of Agriculture Bill, Drought Aid

The U.S. House next week will take up a one-year extension of most of an agriculture-policy law that expires in September along with a provision that would help livestock producers hurt by a record drought, according to a posting yesterday on the Rules Committee website.

The bill would allow growers of major crops such as corn and soybeans to continue to receive so-called direct payments, which are allotted regardless of commodity prices and which the Senate and the House Agriculture Committee have voted to eliminate. It would also allow lawmakers to provide emergency relief to cattle, pig and poultry producers who’ve suffered losses, without having to make an election-year vote on legislation that calls for deep cuts in food-stamp funding.