“As I have said repeatedly, we need to finish the 2012 Farm Bill and send it to the President before the 2008 bill expires on September 30th. Today’s meeting brings us yet another step closer to achieving this goal.

“Congress needs to complete work on the 2012 Farm Bill before the current bill expires, otherwise we jeopardize one of the economic bright spots of our nation’s fragile economy. The legislation released today brings us yet another step closer to achieving this goal and I am pleased to have worked with the Chairman in this effort.

“Today is an important step to having a farm bill in place before the current bill expires this fall. I give high marks to Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts who did an excellent job securing bipartisan support and bringing the bill one step closer to completion.

Protecting our nation’s food supply, providing support to our farmers and rural communities, conserving our natural resources, developing new markets, and investing in the future through agriculture research, biotechnology and innovation are just a few of the ways USDA impacts the lives of all Americans.

Everything must be on the table if we are going to have a serious conversation about getting our budget under control. Refusing to consider large budget items like defense and choosing instead to slash nutrition programs that feed millions of hard-working families is not the way to balance our budget.

“This brings us one step closer to having a farm bill in place before the current bill expires in September. Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts have found a bipartisan way to move forward and the full Senate should now take action

“The proposal before us is not serious. You can’t have a serious conversation about getting our budget under control when you take large items like defense off the table, which is really why we’re here. Taking a meat ax to nutrition programs that feed millions of hard-working families, in an effort to avoid defense cuts, is not a serious way to achieve deficit reduction.

“Passing a farm bill this year was already going to be difficult but the Republican Budget approved by the House today lowers the odds significantly. Going through the reconciliation process, before we can actually get to writing a farm bill, will only muddy the waters and is a waste of time.

“The process outlined by the House Republican budget all but guarantees there will be no farm bill this year.

As the letter states, the Chairman and I worked together to develop a proposal saving $23 billion as part of the Super Committee process. We were the only Congressional Committee that even attempted to do this. And, while it is unfortunate that the Super Committee ultimately failed, this proposal could now serve as the framework for writing the 2012 Farm Bill.