Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman is facing a predicament in advancing his farm bill proposal. Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, who is a member of the committee, has been hospitalized since mid-June. McConnell plans to return to Capitol Hill, but the timeline remains a question. “We’re concerned about Senator McConnell and so hopefully that will be such that he can participate in the markup,” said Boozman. McConnell is one of a dozen Republicans on the ag committee. With his absence, there is an 11-11 split between the Republican and Democratic members of the committee. As long as McConnell remains absent, a compromise between the GOP and Democratic caucus will likely be needed to mark up Farm Bill 2.0.
