Dec 14, 2007 2:53 pm US/Central
Senate Approves $286 Billion Farm Bill
WASHINGTON (AP) ―
The Senate on Friday approved a $286 billion farm bill with
an election-year expansion of subsidies for growers and food stamps for the
poor.
The bill, passed on a 79-14 vote, expands subsidies for
wheat, barley, oat, soybeans and several other crops and creates new grants for
vegetable and fruit growers.
It also increase loan rates for sugar producers, extends
dairy programs and provide more dollars for renewable energy and conservation
programs to protect environmentally sensitive farmland over the next five
years.
President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation,
saying it costs too much and should instead be cutting subsidies at a time of record-high
crop prices. He also has threatened to veto a House version passed in July.
White House opposition and criticism from fiscal
conservatives has so far had little impact on the politically popular bill.
Farm-state senators deflected several attempts to derail the
bill and reduce government payments to large growers. Still, even some from
farm country acknowledged the bill doesn't do enough to trim the government's
massive subsidy programs.
Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, had hoped to
take significant steps to reduce subsidies but was blocked by Southern
lawmakers on the committee who favor current law. Southern crops such as rice
and cotton are more expensive to produce than corn, wheat and most other crops
grown around the country.
Harkin had said earlier he wanted to reduce direct payments
to farmers, which are paid regardless of crop yield but opposition to the idea
was fierce among farmer interest groups. Harkin eventually dropped the plan.
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