Final note - Farm bill override

The 2008 farm bill is officially in the books, at long last. From the office of Rep. Collin Peterson yesterday:


This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to override President Bush's second veto of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act with a bipartisan vote of 317-109.

"Today's vote will ensure that all parts of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act are enacted into law," Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said. "Particularly considering the serious concerns about rising food prices and severe flooding affecting crops in the Midwest, this Farm Bill provides a critical safety net for families and farmers."

Last month, Congress approved the conference report for the Food, Conservation and Energy Act (H.R. 2419). When that bill was sent to the White House, one of the bill's 15 titles was inadvertently left out of the official copy of the bill vetoed by the President.
Congress overrode the veto of H.R. 2419, which enacted 14 of the bill's 15 titles into law.

To ensure that all 15 titles are properly enacted, the House passed the Food, Conservation and Energy Act a second time with a new bill number (H.R. 6124). That bill was sent to the White House, and following President Bush's veto, the House voted today to override the veto.

From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement in response to the Senate vote of 80 to 14 to override the veto of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act – the new farm bill – in the Senate. Earlier today, the House of Representatives voted 317 to 109 to override the measure. Harkin chaired the Senate-House conference committee on the new farm bill. He is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

“It has been a long time coming, but today’s veto override in the Senate completes action on the new farm bill, enacting the full bill, including provisions on foreign food assistance and agricultural trade. The White House repeatedly tried to veto this measure, but could not stand in the way of critical farm, food, conservation and energy investments becoming law. Not only did this bill pass both chambers with an overwhelming majority, but with the override votes, we held our majorities. This proves we have a good, strong, bipartisan farm bill. And after all of our hard work, it is a proud result for Congress as this critical legislation becomes law.”

TK: Also note the House Agriculture Committee schedule next week:

AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE SCHEDULE
UPDATED
June 18, 2008

(UPDATED)
Tues., June 24th - 9:00 a.m.
1300 Longworth House Office Building
Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry - Public Hearing.
RE: To review advances in animal health within the livestock industry.


(NEW)
Thurs., June 26th - 10:00 a.m.
1300 Longworth House Office Building
Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture - Public Hearing.
RE: To review the status of pollinator health including colony collapse disorder.