The Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, or the Highway Bill, will provide funding for roads and bridge construction and reverse a $3 billion cut to crop insurance.

Formally called the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act will now head to President Barack Obama for signature.

Alabama Farmers Federation National Legislative Programs Director Mitt Walker said the crop insurance provision fulfills a promise made to House and Senate agriculture committee leaders when a two-year budget deal passed Oct. 28. However, he predicts more efforts to cut agricultural programs as budget pressure mounts.

“The recent attacks on the federal crop insurance program are just the beginning. This will continue to be an issue throughout 2016,” Walker said. “It will be important for Federation members to continue to stress the importance of protecting this program to their elected officials and remind them farmers gave up more than their fair share in the last farm bill to help address the nation’s debt.”

The highway bill, known as the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, repealed a budget provision that would have capped the rate of return for crop insurance companies at 8.9 percent. The 2014 Farm Bill decreased the targeted rate of return for crop insurance companies to 14 percent. The change threatened to impact the availability and affordability of crop insurance, Walker said.

"The cut to crop insurance was a dealbreaker for soybean farmers and we're very relieved to see these cuts reversed," said Wade Cowan, ASA's president and a farmer from Brownfield, Texas. "Soybean farmers across the country rely on crop insurance in times of extreme weather to ensure they can stay in business to farm in the coming year. An ill-advised $3 billion in cuts would have severely hobbled the program, and we're happy to see them reversed."

While pleased with the results of the vote today, Cowan noted that the association would be on the lookout for similar attacks in coming budget discussions.

"ASA will continue our opposition to any attempt to cut the farm bill programs in the budgeting process," he said. "These programs seem to be low-hanging fruit to lawmakers who don't understand how important they are to the nation's food producers, and we will continue to fight to make sure they stay whole. We thank Chairmen Roberts and Conaway and Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson for their continued defense of the farm safety net, and for securing the fix for this most recent grab at the crop insurance program."

With regard to transportation, the multi-year reauthorization provides certainty for state and local governments to maintain and move forward with transportation projects. It provides new flexibilities and streamlines environmental review and permitting processes aimed at accelerating projects. The bill also establishes new national freight policies and programs aimed at improving freight movement and strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness.