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Peterson frustrated with Farm Bill talks

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Jan 2, 2013 at 3:11 pm

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KNSI) Congressman Collin Peterson says he's dismayed Congress passed only a short extension to the 2008 Farm Bill. And the Minnesota Democrat says he's not willing to put in any more work on a five-year farm bill without assurances it will get a vote.

The House never took a floor vote on a five-year farm bill that passed out of the House Agriculture Committee in July with bipartisan support from Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the panel, and its chairman, Republican Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.

Peterson tells The Associated Press he and his staff are crafting a letter to Speaker John Boehner demanding a guarantee that if the committee passes a farm bill this year, it will be allowed to come to the floor. Otherwise, he says he'll stay on the sidelines.