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"CCAGW is
extremely disappointed, although not surprised, by the Senate
Agriculture Committee's rubber-stamping of the irresponsible farm
bill passed by the House last month.
"We had hoped
that the committee would at least have recognized that, since the
present farm legislation does not expire for nearly a year, there
was no need to rush legislation through Congress right
now.
"We also had
hoped that the Senate committee would have been in less of a rush to
take such a dramatic step backward in farm policy. Just like the
House-passed bill, S. 1628 not only continues to subsidize the
products it has always subsidized and restores all subsidies that
have ever been eliminated, but it also creates new subsidies for
products that have never been subsidized before.
"Earlier this
year, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) had given lip-service to cutting
massive subsidies to the largest, wealthiest farmers and directing
the money instead to farmers more in need of help. However, when
push came to shove, Harkin and the committee's Democrat majority
sweetened the pot for big grain, cotton and rice farmers, increased
subsidies for peanut and sugar growers, plus created an entirely new
subsidy program for dairy farmers.
"Under this
legislation, the wealthiest farmers will still be allowed to collect
crop subsidies in unlimited amounts, plus get an additional $200,000
in payments under two new income–support programs. When the full
Senate considers this massive, unnecessary, and inappropriate
subsidy program, it should be promptly sent to the compost heap."
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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