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NCGA Expects New Farm Bill In March (1-14-01)
The
U.S. Senate appeared to be the Grinch who stole Christmas by pulling
the Farm Bill from consideration before the holiday break. However,
farmers may see new legislation about the time the Easter Bunny arrives.
One
of the goals of the Bush administration was to have a new Farm Bill
enacted before the end of 2001. Because of disagreements in the Republican
and Democrat camps, this didn't happen. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle
(D-SD) pulled the Farm Bill from consideration before the holiday break
after three failed attempts to end debate and proceed to a floor vote.
The
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has been vocal in expressing
its disappointment in the lack of a Farm Bill, but looks for action
this spring.
"Indications from USDA are that the (Bush) administration will
agree on a Farm Bill by March," said Sam Willett, NCGA Director
of Public Policy "Without a Farm Bill in place, the USDA has held
off on determining 2002 annual loan rates for crops. Agency officials
have said they will wait up to two months in the hopes Congress can
reach an agreement by then."
Currently,
three factors dictate the eventual outcome of the Farm Bill in the Senate.
They are:
- The anticipated
bleak federal budget projections by the Congressional Budget Office,
which could be out as early as Jan. 24. The projection is expected
to show a deficit for fiscal year 2003, compared to the surpluses
projected when Congress adopted its budget resolution for fiscal year
2002 that allotted billions of additional dollars for agriculture
spending above and beyond current levels during the next 10 years.
- The lack of a
consensus in the Senate after it rejected separate amendments offered
by Sens. Richard Lugar (R-IN), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Thad Cochran
(R-MS) that would have fundamentally altered the Farm Bill adopted
by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a party-line 12-9 vote in November.
- Finally, the
Senate's rejection, by a 59-38 vote, of an amendment offered by Sen.
Tim Hutchison (R-AR) that would have replaced the current Senate version
of the Farm Bill with one modeled after the House-passed version.
Willett
said there is some optimism about the new legislation. "We have
learned House Agriculture Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) has stated the
Bush administration would support the $73.5 billion in additional farm
spending over the next 10 years that is in the FY 2002 congressional
budget resolution."
For
more information on the 2002 Farm Bill, visit the NCGA website at http://www.ncga.com/farmbill/main/index.html.
Last reviewed
January 14, 2002
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