Criticism of Leahy Dairy Plan Grows; Senate to Consider Farm Bill Any Day

The unprecedented dairy plan offered by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) as part of the Senate version of the 2002 farm bill continues to raise controversy, including a blunt editorial from the Wall Street Journal that notes that "poor milk drinkers" will get stuck paying $1.8 billion a year more if the "new national dairy cartel" plan becomes law. IDFA continues its efforts to have the Leahy dairy provision removed from the farm bill legislation, which is expected to hit the full Senate floor for consideration as early as this week.

The November 28 editorial, entitled "Funny Farm", questions whether Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) is pushing the current legislation to the Senate floor this year as a way "to deliver his long-promised kiss to Vermont turncoat Jim Jeffords, who made him majority leader earlier this year. At the demand of Ag Committee Member and fellow Vermonter Patrick Leahy, the bill not only revives the Northeast Dairy Compact that mercifully expired in September, it massively increases its scope."

The editorial notes that "the University of Missouri's Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute estimates the bill will raise milk prices by an average of 26 cents a gallon, costing consumers about $1.8 billion a year....The compact would also include ‘deficiency' payments to farmers when the price of milk used in nonbeverage products - such as cheese and butter - drops below certain levels."

On November 27, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) unveiled a revised version of the Senate farm bill (S. 1731), which is the bill that is coming up for floor consideration. Harkin's bill now includes the Leahy dairy plan as part of the Federal Milk Marketing Order system. The original Leahy plan, which was a part of S. 1628, encompassed all 48 contiguous states. Supporters hope the change will reduce opposition to the Leahy dairy provision from California, which is not a part of the federal order system.

IDFA encourages its members to contact senators now in opposition to the Leahy dairy provision in the 2002 farm bill. For more information, visit the Legislation section of this website by clicking here.

posted: November 29, 2001 ###