Farm Bill Negotiations Hit Funding Snag (2/1/2008)

Lawmakers continued negotiations with the White House regarding the Farm Bill this week. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, is working on various compromises, but claims there is still a standoff regarding funding for the bill. Conferees are not likely to bring a conference report out until they can find common ground with the administration, which means multiple non-controversial programs may suffer the consequences.

The first disputes between the two chambers of Congress, as well as the White House, dealt with payments to farmers and other farm subsidy programs. While Sen. Harkin believes that a deal is near on these issues, the White House continues to object to the amount of funding in both proposals, most of which is paid for through various tax increases. Without eliminating specific tax breaks, lawmakers may not be able to find enough funding for the various programs under the Farm Bill, but President Bush is already threatening to veto any legislation that increases taxes. Although the Senate passed its Farm Bill by a veto-proof majority of 79-14, there is very little support in the House for the Senate version of the bill.

While negotiations between all the parties continue, programs like the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) expansion may suffer. The program is universally supported, but is not considered vital to the bill’s final passage. If conferees are forced to make cuts in order to reach a consensus, programs like this are often the first to go. School nutrition advocates are continuing to push for the program’s inclusion, but Sen. Harkin and his colleagues will make the final decision.

Resources:
Geof Koss, “Harkin Sees Room for Compromise on Farm Payments, but Funding Standoff Lingers,” Congress Now, January 31, 2008.
Author: SAS