FARM BILL CONFERENCE DEAL REACHED

President to Veto as Race to Secure Votes Begins

In a press conference that began with Senate Ag Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D, IA) announcing, "I'm a happy man," and likening the production of a comprehensive Farm Bill to "passing a kidney stone," House and Senate leaders and Farm Bill conferees announced agreement on all sections of the 2008 Farm Bill. The bill, still awaiting an official price tag from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), comes in $10.4 billion over the budget baseline, with all new funding going to federal nutrition programs. In fact, over 73% of the spending in the bill goes to foods stamps, feeding programs and food aid, with only about 16% going to farm payments and other program spending. The overall cost of the bill is estimated at $610 billion over 10 years, but the final language won't be released by the conference committee until the CBO score is received. House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D, MN) said he intends to have the language posted to the committee website (http://www.agriculture.house.gov/) by 9 a.m., Monday, May 12, so members can study the bill. It's currently planned for the bill to go to the House Rules Committee on Tuesday, May 13, and be on the floor to begin debate on Wednesday, May 14. The Senate will take the bill up on much the same schedule. The goal is to get an approved bill to the President before Friday, May 16, when the current extension of the 2002 Farm Bill expires.

The President said he'd veto the bill in its current form. The big question now is can Congress pass the bill with a margin guaranteeing an override of the Bush veto? An early signal the veto threat is real was the May 8 announcement by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R, OH), former member of the House Ag Committee who represents a predominantly ag district, saying he opposes the bill. Boehner said the bill "continued to get worse this week rather than better." Boehner's opposition is a blow to House ag leaders who need to pass the bill by better than a two-thirds vote to guarantee the override.