Cloture vote fails

No surprise this morning. From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:


Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement after a cloture vote on the farm bill failed today in the Senate. The motion would have allowed the bill to proceed in the Senate after almost two weeks on the floor without action.

“I was deeply disappointed by this morning’s vote to block the farm bill. Frankly, I worry that there is a deliberate and orchestrated attempt to derail the farm bill. Indeed, the farm bill is just one car on a much longer train that includes the children’s health insurance bill and most of the appropriations bills. Between Republican filibusters here in the Senate, and President Bush’s barrage of vetoes and veto threats, they seem to be setting up a giant train wreck at the end of this session of Congress. Maybe, the President and Congressional Republicans think a train wreck at the end of this Congress is a good idea. But it is not in the best interests of the American people.

“It is certainly not in the best interests of the millions of Americans who have a stake in this new farm bill. This bill continues and improves farm income protection and promotes new income opportunities for farm and ranch families – with more help to dairy farmers and particularly to specialty crop producers. It boosts economic growth, jobs and the quality of life in our rural communities. It has excellent new initiatives to help restore our national energy security by promoting biofuels and other renewable energy sources and rural energy initiatives. It makes major new investments in helping farmers and ranchers conserve and enhance the resources on their land – to save soil, increase water quality, conserve wetlands and restore wildlife habitat. It will allow low-income Americans to put a little more food on the family table, and it will help improve the diets and health of school children with more fruits and vegetables.

“But, today, all of this is in jeopardy. So I am hopeful, and yet I am realistic that we must continue to fight to get this strong, bipartisan farm bill through the Senate and enacted into law. That fight will continue today, tomorrow and just as long into next month as it takes to get the job done.”