When Congress returns from the August recess – there won’t be much time left for the committees to make their recommendations to the super committee tasked with developing a bill to make dramatic spending cuts and potentially dramatic policy changes.

House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas notes October 14th is the target date for making recommendations to the super committee. He says his priority is working with Ranking Member Collin Peterson and the other Ag Committee members to get a grip on this budget process and how to handle the committee’s recommendations.

Based on rough estimations – Congressman Peterson suggested ahead of the August recess that agriculture might fare better under across-the-board cuts. Lucas is trying to determine if that’s the case – but wants hard numbers before a decision is made.

If the super committee were to target and eliminate direct payments – Lucas says the House Ag Committee would suddenly be faced with having to write a new farm bill.

Once the super committee makes its recommendations – Lucas says all committees will get a chance to discuss and make a recommendation to reject or accept the proposal. It will then go to a vote where the proposal must get the approval of 51 Senators, 218 Representatives and the President to become law.

If the super committee is not able to reach those thresholds – or if reasonable, rational recommendations are made and the framework of the farm bill is held together – Lucas says the Ag Committees can work towards a regular farm bill under regular order in the spring and summer of 2012. But if dramatic changes are recommended – Lucas says the Ag Committees might have to write a new farm bill this October or November.