House Republicans struggle to advance farm bill

House Republicans planning to debate a long overdue farm bill this week ran into trouble Monday on one of the very first steps: figuring out how to get the legislation to the floor in the first place.

Disagreements around pesticide policy and making higher-ethanol fuel available during the summer helped force the Rules Committee to quit for the night without deciding which of more than 360 proposed amendments will be made in order.

A Rules Committee Democratic aide said lawmakers expect the committee to reconvene Tuesday morning. Leaders hope to pass H.R. 7567 before the end of the week.

Pesticide policy provided the most spirited debate Monday as House Agriculture Chair Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) pushed provisions in the bill to partially protect manufacturers from liability when their products are suspected of causing illness and to prevent states from putting health warnings in labels if the message contradicts federal policy.