04/16/08 Farm Bill Update

Farm Bill Update. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. What is the story with the 2007 Farm Bill? We have just passed into the second quarter of 2008 and still no bill. Both the House and Senate versions have been poked, prodded, pulled apart and reassembled but still nothing. During Monday's farm bill conference committee meeting - Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss said that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel had raised the most pertinent question. CHAMBLISS: You know we can have all these discussions about what we are going to do with respect to writing a new farm bill but as several folks on the Senate side emphasized to the House leadership in December after we passed out bill that all of that was moot until the Ways and Means Committee and the Finance Committee came together with a funding package. And what I am hearing is that in the very esteemed opinion of the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee is not sure that can be done and obviously that presents a huge problem on the policy side. Meanwhile House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson told Conference Chair Tom Harkin the House and Senate are close to an agreement on the core farm bill policies. PETERSON: We have an agreement as far as I can see on farm programs, crop insurance, nutrition, conservation, fruits and vegetables, energy, forestry, trade, credit, research, rural development, livestock and poultry, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmer and rancher programs. But according to Peterson, funding is the sticking point and says that as long as Senators insist on a farm bill funded with tax hikes, the farm bill will die. Tara Smith, a Farm Policy Specialist for American Farm Bureau says someone needs to make a move. SMITH: At this point in time the disagreements are primarily between the finance committee and the Senate and the Ways and Means Committee and the House and between leadership between the House and Senate and until someone steps up to the plate in those two arenas, we are not going to move forward. Right now time is the biggest enemy as another deadline is looming. The current extension will expire on Friday. SMITH: Whether or not, realistically you can do anything, come to any sort of agreement by April 18th is a huge question mark. Certainly there is no way to pass a conference report bill and get it signed by April 18th. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.