Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla. On the sidelines of last week’s American Farm Bureau convention in Salt Lake City, Lucas lamented the political headwinds of writing new farm and food policy. Lucas said the nation’s spending plan is most challenging and provides inadequate resources for the hungry and producers facing a challenging economic climate. Lucas says more funds are needed and believes reallocating previously approved dollars is the best financial solution. Without those resources, Lucas would favor another extension of the 2018 farm bill to give more time for Congress to allocate resources. Lucas is keen on a pending SCOTUS decision on regulatory deference and wants an “all of the above” approach to the nation’s energy policy.