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.
