FARGO, N.D. -- House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Thursday he expects Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to fund the government until after the election.
In an interview on the sidelines of the Surface Transportation Board hearing in Fargo, Peterson said the only real question about the resolution is whether it lasts only until shortly after the November election or into December.
Congress has not passed any appropriations bill funding individual agencies for the 2015 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The Agriculture appropriations bill is mired in conflicts over whether the healthier meals rules for the school lunch and breakfast programs should be changed.
Peterson also said he would urge the Senate to act on the reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The House has passed a bill, but the Senate Agriculture Committee has only held hearings. Peterson acknowledged rumors in the financial services community that the Senate will not take up the measure this year but said the rumors won't stop him from "putting the heat on them."
Even though the House bill has passed, Peterson said he would be "fine" with a simple reauthorization of the commission, which oversees trading in financial, agricultural and mineral futures.
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Peterson also said he would like to convince the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take the fees associated with the new dairy program out of milk checks rather than having the farmers pay the fees directly to USDA. Peterson said taking the $100 fee out of milk checks would produce a higher level of participation in the program because that's what farmers are used to. He added that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is looking into the practicality of that idea.
Peterson said he is monitoring the implementation of the farm bill and an issue comes up with USDA almost every day. He added he is pleased he reached a deal with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to move the farm bill.
Peterson said he had the votes to hold up the bill over the dairy issue, but wanted the bill completed because dairy farmers could have been blamed for it not passing. If the bill had not been finished in January and February, as it was, it probably would not have been finished in this Congress, Peterson said.
The congressional session that is about to begin is scheduled to last until the end of September, although if the Senate leaves on Sept. 23 as planned, the House might leave earlier, House sources have told Agweek. Peterson said besides passing the continuing resolution to fund the government, he expects there to be many votes on controversial issues to provide fodder for the campaign. Peterson said he will avoid getting involved in those issues except for voting on the measures.
