Reaction Of The Vermont Congressional Delegation
To House Passage Of A New National Dairy Plan,
Modeled On The Compact, In The Farm Bill

WASHINGTON (Thurs., May 2) – A new national dairy program modeled on the benefits of the recently expired Northeast Dairy Compact moved one step closer to reality today with House passage of the final version of the farm bill, in a vote of 280 to 141. To become law, the compromise bill now must also be approved by the Senate and signed by President Bush. Senate debate on the bill is expected to begin late Thursday, with a vote likely next Tuesday.

The dairy program, backed by the Vermont Congressional Delegation, will guarantee dairy farmers in Vermont and across the nation benefits similar to those available to Northeast farmers under the compact, which expired last September. In another key feature, farmers will receive payments retroactive to Dec. 1 last year, when milk prices to producers plunged.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and conferee who led negotiations on the dairy plan during work on the farm bill, said: "This is a hard-won victory for Vermont and for our dairy farmers. Dairy farmers and their advocates are outnumbered in the agricultural community and in the Congress. Everyone said Congress would never pass a national dairy program. Vermonters are polite, but we don’t take no for an answer."

Sen. Jim Jeffords, who teamed with Leahy in advancing the plan in the Senate, said: "We have now moved one step closer to shielding our farmers from the wild fluctuations in milk prices. We're so close we can taste the victory."

Rep. Bernie Sanders, who offered to the earlier House version of the farm bill an amendment for a national dairy plan, which was narrowly defeated, said: "Importantly, we have finally brought the Midwest and the Northeast together to develop a national dairy program which will work well for family farmers all across the country. Today’s victory on the floor of the House brings us one step closer to providing dairy farmers in Vermont with the financial safety net they had with the Northeast Dairy Compact, and to realizing our goal of extending that help to family farmers across the nation."