Senate Farm Bill
Two questions loom large in the
Senate’s consideration of the Farm Bill: When will the Senate
pass a bill? And which Farm Bill proposal will they pass?
When Will the Senate Pass A Farm Bill?
The first issue under consideration is whether the Senate
will pass a Farm Bill before it recesses for the holidays. One
key issue is the amount of money available for new spending. The
House of Representatives followed last spring’s budget
resolution and devoteed $170 billion to farm spending over the
next ten years. However, with projected revenues declining and
unforeseen expenditures on national security and economic
stimulus measures, it is uncertain how much money will actually
be available for farm spending. Several farm groups, including
National Farmers Union, are urging the Senate to move quickly to
pass a farm bill, so that the spending allowable under the bill
will be dictated by last spring’s spending limits rather than
new budget projections.
National
Farmers Union Statement on Passage of Farm Bill
On the other hand, nine commodity groups have written a
letter to Senator Daschle seeking a slower Farm Bill process.
Commodity
Groups Letter
The Administration is assuring that the money will be
available to fund farm spending even if a bill is not passed
till next year, providing that it conforms with the
Administration’s principles.
Which Farm Bill Will the Senate Pass?
Right now, the Senate appears to have three Farm Bill
options:
1) Pass the House version of the Bill. Senator Daschle
has indicated that he might bring the House bill directly to the
floor, bypassing the Agriculture Committee entirely. Many
environmentalists and family farm advocates consider this to be
a worst-case scenario.
More
on H.R. 2646, the House "Texas Tornado" Farm Bill
2) Pass a bill introduced by Senator Lugar, H.R. 1571.
Summary
of Senator Lugar’s Farm And Ranch Equity Act of 2001
This bill radically alters the
payment structure within the Commodities Title, which phases out
crop subsidies and replaces them with an insurance voucher
system that would apply to grains, cotton, fruit, vegetables and
livestock. Senator Lugar’s bill, as introduced, also
reinstates food stamps for legal immigrants and contains modest
conservation funding gains over the House Farm Bill.
National
Association of Conservation Districts Compares Lugar Bill to
Combest Bill
However, Lugar’s bill maintains
some of the bad conservation policies of the House Bill – most
notably, it would open EQIP funding to large Confined Animal
Feeding Operations.
Why
Large CAFOs shouldn’t receive EQIP funds
Despite these problems, a
few environmental groups have given the Lugar bill tentative
approval:
Environmental
Working Group
Environmental
Defense
The Bush Administration also expressed support for Senator
Lugar’s bill on the grounds that the bill would be compatible
with the Administration’s trade goals.
White
House Position on Lugar Bill
However, Lugar’s bill is not supported by any farm or
commodity group.
National
Farmers Union Position on Lugar Bill
3) Pass a bill released by Senate Agriculture Committee
Chairman Harkin on November 1. Senator Harkin’s
just-released bill includes marketing assistance loans,
counter-cyclical payments and non-recourse loans; balances
expansion of existing conservation programs with enactment of a
working lands stewardship program based on the Conservation
Security Act; expands credit and nutrition programs; and
includes new titles to enhance market competition and promote
on-farm development of renewable energy resources.
Outline
of Senator Harkin’s Farm Bill Proposal
The Harkin Bill contains a number of good conservation
provisions, including strengthening compliance, maintaining a
cap on the size of animal feeding operation that can receive
EQIP, and creating a stewardship incentives program based on the
Conservation
Security Act.
Several environmental groups praised these
advances, though some cautioned that the bill could be further
improved by investing more money in conservation.
National
Wildlife Federation
Sierra
Club
American Farmland Trust
National
Association of Conservation Districts
Other groups, however, contend that Harkin’s bill falls
short of what is needed to adequately invest in conservation.
Environmental Working Group
Several commodity, farm and nutrition groups have responded
favorably to Senator Harkin’s proposal:
National
Corn Growers Association
National
Farmers Union
Food
Research and Action Center
America’s Second
Harvest
In addition to these three proposals for the full House Farm
Bill, Senators Leahy and Reid are planning to offer an amendment
to the conservation title. This amendment, we understand, will
resemble the Boehlert/Kind Amendment that was narrowly defeated
in the House.
Comparison
of Conservation Provisions
Dollars and Policy: Choosing Among A Suite of Conservation
Titles |