CCAGW Applauds Senate Farm Subsidy
Caps "Amendment is a
Step in the Right Direction," says Schatz
(Washington,
D.C.) The
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today applauded
the amendment to S. 1731, the Senate Farm Bill, which caps farm
subsidies at $275,000 for the next 10 years, saving taxpayers $1.3
billion over 10 years.
"Sen. Charles Grassley
(R-Iowa) and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) deserve credit for this
much-needed reform. It provides some relief for taxpayers from an
otherwise bloated farm bill that increases subsidies by $73 billion
over 10 years," CCAGW President Tom Schatz said. "Taxpayers are
indirectly subsidizing every acre of land producing even the most
basic commodity crops such as corn, wheat, rice and soybeans,
regardless of whether the farmer needs the money."
Once the Senate bill
leaves the Senate it will go into conference, where it will go up
against the more generous House bill, which caps farm subsidies at
$550,000, $90,000 above current levels. CCAGW will urge the
conferees to accept the Senate amount, rather than the House figure.
Currently, an overwhelming percentage of government payments go to
large farms rather the smaller farms, which are most in need of
assistance. Farm policy allocates two out of every three farm
subsidy dollars to the top 10 percent of subsidy recipients, while
completely shutting 60 percent of farmers out of subsidy programs.
These big government payments drive up land prices and put small
farms out of business. While supporting the Grassley-Dorgan
amendment, CCAGW continues to oppose passage of farm legislation
that does not move farm policy toward a more free market
agriculture.
"Americans are sick of
hearing how everyone from Fortune 500 companies to a former Miss
America receive thousands of dollars in farm subsidies, while the
average farmer faces falling crop prices due to
government-stimulated demand through subsidies" Schatz said. "Farm
subsidies should not be welfare programs for
farmers."
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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