FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2002
Contact: Drew Goesl 

2002 Farm Bill Passes Congress
Lincoln Declares 'Victory' For Farmers

Washington – The 2002 Farm Bill adopted by Congress on Wednesday is a victory for farmers and rural America, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) said today.

The first comprehensive revamping of U.S. agricultural policy in six years will create a reliable safety net for farmers so that they can plan effectively for the future, Lincoln said.

"I have been urging action on a new farm bill for over a year now, so this is welcome news to me," Lincoln said. "But more importantly, this is welcome news to the thousands of Arkansas farmers who were being hung out to dry this planting season without any assurance of future farm programs."

"This bill demonstrates a firm guarantee from the federal government to American farmers and ranchers, and it sends a clear message: We will stand with you," Lincoln added.

The farm bill had been wrapped up in House-Senate conference negotiations since March, with no end in sight. On Tuesday, April 23, Lincoln gathered together five of her colleagues from southern states for a pivotal meeting with Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), urging Daschle to pressure the conference committee to move the bill forward. Lincoln's meeting with Daschle was likely the turning point in breaking the conference committee's impasse.

The final bill which Congress passed today includes a number of provisions that will be critical to Arkansas farmers and rural communities, including the following:

• Higher Payment Limitations: The final farm bill caps support payments to farmers at $360,000, a significantly higher level than what was in the original Senate bill, which Lincoln had opposed. Southern farmers, whose crops are far more costly than those produced in other regions, will benefit from the higher level of support.

• Conservation: The 2002 Farm Bill includes a variety of measures that will strengthen conservation programs. Among these measures are an increase in the acreage caps of the Wetlands Reserve Program and the Conservation Reserve Program, both of which are important to Arkansas.

• Nutrition: A $6.4 billion nutrition title will enhance the Food Stamp program; increase funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program to $140 million per year; provide additional commodities in the school lunch program; and increase funding for the Senior and Women, Infants, and Children nutrition programs.

• Rural Development: The $1.03 billion rural development title will promote broadband service and local television access in rural areas; develop small businesses and local economies; fund rural firefighters and emergency personnel; and expedite applications for water and wastewater programs.

• Energy: The $450 million energy title will promote biodiesel fuel use along with investment in renewable energy systems and improvements in energy efficiency.

A six-page summary of the Farm Bill conference report, along with a legislative history of the bill and the full text, is available on the Senate Agriculture Committee website at http://www.senate.gov/~agriculture/. Lincoln is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The final bill passed the Senate 64 to 35, with Lincoln voting "yes." The bill will now go the desk of President Bush, who has already indicated that he will sign the bill into law.