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The House-Senate Conference Committee began its efforts to hash out a compromise on the farm bill. Lawmakers from both parties are not optimistic they can work out their differences before the current farm bill expires at the end of the month. North Dakota Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp says America's farmers are in crisis "We hear all the time about good economy, guess where it isn't? It isn't in farm country," Heitkamp said. Heitkamp says it's up to the 56 lawmakers on the farm bill conference committee to change that "They need to know this body can deliver a farm bill on time," said Heitkamp. The committee members have until the end of the month to iron out their differences and produce a final farm bill that includes everything from crop insurance to rural broadband. North Dakota Republican Senator John Hoeven says he's ready to compromise to meet the September 30 deadline. "The House passed a good product the Senate passed a good product, I think if we put these two together we can get an even better product," said Hoeven. Not everyone on the committee is willing to budge; Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern says he won't support a bill that includes work requirements for food stamp recipients. "What the House did is a rotten deal for poor people, and it would make hunger worse," McGovern said. The House bill says Americans between 18 and 59 years old who are able to work must do so in order to qualify for the SNAP food stamp program. Texas Republican Congressman Jodey Arrington says the goal is to get people out of the welfare system altogether. "We are not talking about vulnerable people, we are not talking about the aged, we are talking about people who are work capable," Arrington said. Conferees only have a few weeks to work out their differences before the current bill expires on September 30. https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/house-senate-conference-committee-work-on-farm-bill-compromise/1421158857