In a release announcing a markup session on the credit title of the farm bill on Thursday -- the first he has scheduled on the bill -- Harkin said, "We have established a strong foundation of bipartisan proposals and they will hopefully guide our work on the farm bill. We must move forward, using the $73.5 billion in additional funding for the farm bill, as provided in the Congressional budget resolution. The White House has said only $25 billion in added funds should be available for the farm bill in the next five years. That position will clearly complicate the task of writing the new farm bill. However, I will continue to work to complete a comprehensive bill that not only provides more for rural America, but does it in a fair manner."

A Senate Democratic aide working on the bill also told DTN the Bush administration plans to endorse a farm bill written by Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Richard Lugar, R-Ind. Lugar's plan, as detailed on agricultural websites, would end Freedom to Farm payments in 2002, curtail marketing loan programs by ending the current formulas in favor of an average five-year price, increase environmental payments and provide farmers a range of risk management options rather than just crop insurance. Lugar's office did not return calls seeking comment by press time.

A spokesman for Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said she would have no comment because Lugar has not introduced his bill and the Agriculture Department has not received notice from the White House Office of Management and Budget of the administration's decision on budget numbers for agriculture. A key agricultural lobbyist said the administration position is based on the theory that the new bill would not cover the 2002 crop year, but would cover the years 2003 to 2007. That scenario leaves open the possibility of another farm aid package for 2002.

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