Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, says there is still a lot of work for lawyers to do, but it’s possible there could be a version of the Farm Bill the House and Senate could agree to sometime in January. In an early December interview on the radio program AgriTalk, an agriculture policy podcast, Lucas said that’s probably a best case scenario.

“This is a body that moves like a snail, the United States Congress, House and Senate,” Lucas said. “But sometimes, it’s amazing the light speed with which things can be accomplished if everyone agrees. We’re just not quite to that light speed position yet.”

 Among the obstacles to final approval of a Farm Bill is food stamp spending. The Senate version of the bill cuts less than 0.5 percent from food stamp spending. However, the House version calls for a 5 percent reduction.