With the Senate in a crunch to finish its business before the targeted adjournment of December 8, reports keep circulating that the Farm Bill will come up for a full Senate vote at any time. That said, there is still no concrete indication of when to expect it -- leaving us with the estimate of sometime between tomorrow and next Friday.

While the bill reported by the Senate Agriculture Committee is better than the House bill passed in October, there is still plenty of room for improvement: 1) The Senate bill subsidizes factory farm livestock operations; 2) More investment in conservation is needed; 3) The Competition Title should be reinstated; 4) The Commodity title won't help raise prices for farmers, and; 5) The forest stewardship provisions pose serious ecological concerns and need to be changed. In addition, there is rumor that an amendment that would allow for drilling in the Arctic Refuge might be added to the bill (see # 2 below). Please call your Senator TODAY and tell him or her to support the above measures to improve the Farm Bill.

You can reach your Senator through the Capitol Switchboard at the following toll free number 1-800-648-3516.

Would Senate Republicans dead-set on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) attempt to attach a rider onto the upcoming farm bill? On top of rumors now circulating behind closed doors in the capital, the Ancorage News is reporting that Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski (R-AK) and Idaho Senator Larry Craig are considering using the Farm Bill as a "vehicle" to push this agenda. According to Craig, "Most of our farmers understand that good farm policy is good energy policy, or vice versa, because they use energy in a very extensive way." This leaves these oil state Senators facing the challenge of convincing farmers that drilling in the arctic, which will yield less that six months of oil and take ten years to develop, is going to help oil prices and is a better idea than development of local energy economies where farmers make money from developing solar, wind and biomass. But, according to DC insiders, drilling proponents are trying to take advantage of the fact that many Senators including some who have opposed drilling in the Arctic Refuge consider the Farm Bill to be "must-pass" legislation and might be induced to vote for drilling in order to get a Farm Bill passed this year. So far the oil lobby is not doing too well. The nations two largest farm organizations, the National Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau Federation have signed a letter asking Senate leaders "to oppose any effort to add unrelated or non- agriculture related issues" to the farm bill. You can tell your Senators the same by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

For more information on the effects of drilling on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and how America can meet its energy needs and create jobs without drilling, please visit http://www.savearcticrefuge.org.

As farm bill negotiations heat up in Washington D.C., next years Congressional elections loom in the backdrop as many key Democratic leaders face re-election in farm states where economies are sagging and residents are seeking answers and solutions. These include Agriculture Committee Chairman Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Sens. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, Max Baucus of Montana and Jean Carnahan of Missouri. Each feel the heat from constituents seeking farm bill solutions to rural problems and many observers have speculated how much next years election is tainting this years farm bill. Senate Leader Tom Daschle, a farm state politician himself, denies this. When asked by the Argus News (Nov. 17) he replied, "I have yet to hear somebody say, Because of my election, I have got to have this or that, because of the politics of my state I have got to do this."

On the other hand, Ag economist Luther Tweeten predicts that rather than "raising eyebrows and ire," politicians in Washington will continue with agribusiness-as-usual including taxpayer subsidies to the largest producers.

Shortly after taking office in January, President Bush made passing fast track (Presidential Trade Authority) a top priority for his new administration. As reported in past issues of Rural Updates this issue has precipitated a split in conservative ranks between the White House and House Ag leadership and it was reported that Reps. Combest and Stenholm (TX) were holding fast track hostage in exchange for a promise of generous funding of commodities subsidies by the White House. Now, according to Public Citizen, after months of debating the "fast track" vote is scheduled for a vote in the House on Thursday, December 6. While there is still speculation on how conservative ranks will vote, Fast track legislation (H.R. 3005) is opposed by a broad range of civil society including labor, environment and progressive agricultural organizations. Public Citizen is requesting people call their Representatives. To call your Senator phone 1-800-393-1082 (courtesy of the AFL-CIO) or 1-888-832-4246 (courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce).