Farm bill blink

It's a game of chicken, or rather corn, wheat, cotton, soybeans, food stamps, conservation programs and specialty crop priorities. But who will blink? Here is the latest from the Administration about where farm bill negotiations stand, followed by an earlier statement about a new offer from Sens. Harkin and Chambliss.

Statement by Secretary Ed Schafer and Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner Regarding the Senate's Farm Bill Proposal
February 15, 2008
The Senate's most recent farm bill proposal recommends increases in taxes and significantly grows the size and scope of government while failing to implement much needed reform in our current farm bill programs. We are disappointed that the Senate has not joined the House in proposing a package that seeks fiscal discipline and real reform while providing a true safety net.
The President has said time and time again that he will not support a bill that raises taxes and uses taxpayer dollars to increase the size of government, and tof hat is exactly what this proposal does.
We believe that, working together, the House, Senate and the Administration can move forward with a true reform minded farm bill that remains at around $6 billion over baseline. The Senate offer looks to increase spending by at least $16.5 billion.
Although we remain encouraged with the efforts of the House and the amount of dialogue put forward in this process, this Senate proposal is a step away from passing a farm bill.
We continue to encourage the House and Senate to work together to quickly agree on a farm bill that the President can sign. This proposal does not reach this goal


From Sens. Harkin and Chambliss:

Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), the Chairman and Ranking Member respectively of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today issued the following statement after the Senate submitted a farm bill proposal to the House. The farm bill is currently being negotiated between the Senate and House. Harkin is chair of the conference committee.

“This afternoon, Senate farm bill negotiators submitted a spending proposal to the House that meets the needs of this farm bill without having to cut back on the critical investments made by the Senate-passed bill in renewable energy, conservation, nutrition, rural development and better diets and health for all Americans. Support for these investments was strong in the Senate, where our measure passed by one of the largest farm bill votes in history. Support for this effort was also strong in rural America, where spending on agriculture is a small part of the overall federal budget. “The Senate proposal provides an outline of spending that is $12.3 billion above baseline – spending that is not only critical for farmers and rural America, but also our nation as a whole. The goal now is to reach agreement with House negotiators and the White House so we can identify funding mechanisms to support these investments that the White House, Senate and House can agree upon. I remain optimistic that all negotiators will see the benefits of swift action and agreement so that we can bring the farm bill to fruition.”