WASHINGTON — As Congress tries to consider a way to keep the government open by Dec. 20, both Republicans and Democrats continue to negotiate a farm bill extension and economic farm aid to farmers across the country without much movement.

Over the last few months, both sides have held hearings and talked on the House and Senate floor about taking steps forward since the farm bill has had an official delay of one year.

During the weekend, neither side could find an agreement on farmer aid or conservation projects.

Throughout 2024, the agriculture sector continues to deal with high input costs, interest rates, challenges in commodity futures markets, and poor local cash markets.

Other major factors that stakeholders dealt with nationwide include extreme weather in the United States and the uncertain demand worldwide and supply chain disruptions.

After the latest offer over the weekend, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) stated they offered a $12 billion economic aid package to Democrats that was rejected.

“It appears that congressional Democrats have not learned the lessons of the most recent election and continue to neglect the needs of rural America,” Thompson and Boozeman said. “The failure to include economic assistance will have devastating and lasting consequences on our farm families, the rural communities in which they live and American agriculture. For that reason, we intend to oppose any supplemental spending package that does not provide meaningful assistance to our farmers.”

In response to the ongoing negotiations, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA) and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) provided their offers about the farm bill extension.

“For weeks, congressional Democrats have provided a pathway to a farm bill extension that will deliver tens of billions of dollars in economic assistance and investments in farm bill programs that farmers rely on,” Scott and Stabenow said. “Republican Leadership turned down this $10 billion proposal, rejecting needed economic assistance and increased conservation spending for decades. It is important to stress that this proposal is paid for and does not take any funding away from the critical natural disaster aid that has been requested.”

Stabenow made a different proposal in mid-November, but at the time, Boozeman was not interested in that proposal.