Senate Passes Farm Bill, Veto Override Likely

Moments ago, the Senate voted to pass the Farm Bill by a margin of 81 to 15.  As detailed in other recent alerts, we’re working to support the Farm Bill because it includes a two-year extension of the conservation easement tax incentive and increased funding for important conservation programs.

This vote brings us closer to victory on several top land trust priorities, but we’re not there yet and we still need your help.

The President is expected to veto the Farm Bill for reasons unrelated to its conservation provisions. The law will not become effective until the House and Senate vote to override the veto with 2/3 majorities. Given initial votes of 73% in the House and 81% in the Senate, an override appears likely to succeed sometime next week.

Please take a look at the House and Senate votes to see how your Members of Congress voted. You can help assure our victory next week by thanking your Senators and Representatives who voted yes and urging them to remain steadfast in their support for the Farm Bill, even in the face of a Presidential veto.

Thanks for helping! We’ll keep you posted every step along the way.