By RACHEL LANE

D.C. Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After two years of hearings, the 2018 farm bill is finally being written in the U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees. Both are working on the language of the bill, and no large changes are expected at this time.

The House started the process of writing first, but many experts believe the Senate committee will have a bill ready first. Senate Ag Chair Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said the bill cannot be finalized until after April 9, when the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score is announced.

The score will be used as a guide for Congress to determine how much can be spent in the farm bill. Roberts said he doesn’t expect any dramatic increases or decreases in the overall budget. While 39 programs do not have guaranteed funding, he is working on the assumption that the amount available will be similar to previous years.

He said he will work to protect crop insurance, reduce regulatory requirements and ease the cost burdens associated. Some programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), might require more work to reach an agreement with the Democrats, but in the Senate a compromise has to be reached in order to get the 60 needed votes to pass the bill.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the committee, said despite President Donald Trump’s proposed budget cuts, the senators agreed to work on the 2018 farm bill with the assumption there would be no large cuts in program funding.

“We couldn’t write a farm bill if we did the cuts,” Stabenow said. In the 2014 farm bill, about $80 billion more than requested was expected to be saved over 10 years. With a tough agricultural economy in the last few years – and more tough years predicted – farmers need the support offered in the farm bill.

Committee members are planning to have $600 million for high-speed internet in rural America, fixing livestock emissions reporting and streamlining conservation programs.

“It's so important to make sure every single state knows they have a stake in the farm bill,” Stabenow said. More than 500 different organizations offered support of the 2014 farm bill, from energy companies to hunger organizations and traditional farming commodity associations.

Both Stabenow and Roberts have worked with each other on previous farm bills and do not anticipate any problems going forward.

In the House, the Republicans hold a large enough majority that they do not need Democratic support to pass their version of a farm bill. While the negotiations are happening behind closed doors, statements made by committee members indicate the conversations are not going well.

“The Democratic members of the Agriculture Committee are unanimous in their opposition to the extreme, partisan policies being advocated by the majority. This opposition will not change,” said Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.).

At the urging of his Democratic colleagues, Peterson stopped the talks until the minority members of the committee receive the text of the proposed farm bill and the CBO cost estimates and impact statement.

Based on media reports, the Democrats balked at possible cuts to SNAP. Leaks have been reported that 20 percent of participants would be cut from the program. The proposal would require able-bodied adults without dependents to work until they reach age 65 in order to continue receiving SNAP support. States would be able to offer exemptions.

House Agriculture Chair Mike Conaway (R-Texas) has said no one would be forced off SNAP due to work or training requirements. He said he is working to prevent cuts to the farm bill, including SNAP.

Members of both committees said they hope for a bipartisan bill to protect farmers and ranchers.