12-08-2001

AGRICULTURE: Administration Opposes Senate Farm Bill

The Senate on December 5 began debating the farm bill proposed by Sen. Tom
Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Committee, even though the Bush Administration had issued a statement
saying it "strongly opposes" the legislation. The
Administration, which also opposed the farm bill approved by the House in
October, said it supports a Republican alternative proposed by Sens. Thad
Cochran, R-Miss., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan. The Senate's farm debate began
after a resounding 73-26 vote to limit debate on the motion to proceed to
the bill. However, the debate was short-lived, as the Senate temporarily
put the farm bill aside the next day to turn to the Defense appropriations
bill. Although the 1996 farm bill does not expire until next year, farm
groups and farm-state lawmakers have been pushing hard for enactment of a
new bill this year. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., vowed, "If they
[Republicans] go into a full-court stall, they'll make a big, big
mistake."


Jerry Hagstrom/CongressDaily

National Journal