NCGA Urges House Ag Committee to Oppose Amendments that Would
Open Farm Bill (10-04-04)
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and other major farm
organizations joined together last week in an effort to successfully
oppose efforts by specialty crop groups to reopen the farm bill
and put at risk current levels of farm support payments.
Concerned by the potential of divisive amendments being offered
to H.R. 3242, the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004,
the ag coalition sent a letter Sept. 28 urging the House Agriculture
Committee to not accept any changes to the substitute to H.R. 3242.
The House Agriculture Committee held a full committee meeting Sept.
28 to consider a substitute amendment to H.R. 3242.
After encountering
stiff opposition in the House and Senate Agriculture Committees,
negotiations ultimately led to Rep. Doug Ose offering a substitute
amendment that simply “authorizes” new
spending of $54 million per year (subject to annual appropriations
on specialty crop initiatives for the next five years. The substitute
amendment, approved by voice vote, eliminates any immediate threat
of reduction in Commodity Credit Corporation farm program payments
to offset new mandatory programs.
A second amendment,
offered by Rep. Mike Pense (R-Ind.) to address the “unintended consequences of the 2002 Farm Bill” was
withdrawn after a lengthy discussion and debate regarding the merits
and drawbacks of incorporating changes mid-stream in this farm
bill.
In the letter,
the coalition stated, “While we have no position
on the substitute amendment, we are opposed to any amendments that
would open the current Farm Bill.”
The letter
continued, “We
oppose any amendments that would change the substitute to require
the spending of mandatory funds, to increase the authorized levels
of funding above that of the substitute, or that would make any
changes in the current Farm Bill.”
H.R. 3242 would
allow groups to seek discretionary funds for block grants to
states to “enhance the competitiveness of specialty
crops, technical assistance, specialty crop research and a pest
and disease respond fund.”
The letter
concluded, “While
the initiatives in the substitute are subject to appropriation,
any increase in authorized funding will add to the already existing
demands for discretionary funds during a time of reduced 302(b)
allocations to the Appropriations Committee.”
“H.R. 3242’s passage will intensify competition for
already reduced discretionary dollars in the annual appropriations
process, however, it will not reopen the farm bill and threaten
funding for the farm safety net and conservation programs,” said
Sam Willett, NCGA senior director of public policy.
The letter is available at http://www.ncga.com/letters/2004/PDFS/FarmbillCrop04.pdf.