The Senate left Washington on Thursday without voting to move the farm bill forward to conference, or even naming conferees.
Politico says those were two goals that Ag Chair Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow wanted to get done before Senators left town. Politico says the delay could be a result of a number of different things, including backdoor, last-minute deals and jostling by Senators who want to get a seat on the conference committee.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he and South Dakota Senator John Thune, who represent key ag states, could be left off the committee if leadership only names five Republicans to the panel.
If the lingering issues get worked out over the weekend, the earliest the Senate could vote would be Monday afternoon. The House left for its summer recess last Thursday. However, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tells the Hagstrom Report that the Senate is expected to vote to go to conference in the coming week.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.