AZ Congressman O’Halleran Calls For Bipartisan Effort To Draft Farm Bill

Published: Saturday, May 19, 2018 - 12:18pm
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Arizona Congressman Tom O’Halleran is calling for a bipartisan effort to draft a bill that works for rural America. This comes after a revolt by House Republicans helped defeat a GOP-backed Farm Bill.

Conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus, seeking leverage on immigration issues, joined with Democrats in defeating the Farm Bill on Friday. The show of political force scuttled a bill crafted by GOP leaders and endorsed by President Trump.

Afterward, O’Halleran urged the House to go back to the drawing board.

He issued a statement saying, "From the outset of this process, this Farm Bill has been a failure for rural America, hardworking families, and our ag community," O'Halleran said. "You cannot write a bill this important to our nation in a backroom without input from the American people."

O’Halleran added that farmers and ranchers need to be supported by the House Committee on Agriculture.