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"While the 1996
Farm Bill had finally, after 60 years, begun the process of moving
toward dismantling depression-era agriculture programs, the recent
House passage of H.R. 2646, the Farm Security Act of 2001,
represents a dramatic backward step in farm policy. It completely
abandons the concept of ending the agriculture sector's dependency
on the largesse of the U.S. taxpayer that was to be accomplished by
'freeing America's farmers.'
"H.R. 2646 not
only continues to subsidize the same old products through so-called
market transition payments, but in addition to those subsidies, it
brings back the old target price/deficiency payment system
eliminated in the 1996 Farm Bill, and calls these 'countercyclical'
payments. In addition, H.R. 2646 restores other subsidies Congress
had actually managed to eliminate in the past and also creates new
subsidies for products that have never before been
subsidized.
"The farm bill
passed by the House adds another $73 billion in subsidies ¾ a 65
percent increase ¾ to the already existing $95 billion 10-year base.
Senator Lugar's proposal is still quite generous, adding $25 billion
in new farm spending over a five-year period. Most importantly,
Senator Lugar's proposal keeps farm reform on track by phasing out
crop subsidies and replacing them with risk management programs that
are fair to all agricultural producers.
"CCAGW
encourages the U.S. Senate to take the time to do a better job of
passing a sound farm bill than was done in the House. They couldn't
possibly do worse. Senator Lugar's proposal is a good starting
point."
CCAGW is
the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's
largest taxpayer advocacy group with over one million members and
supporters nationwide. It is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in
government.
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