| Sen. Byron Dorgan says the next two weeks will be critical if the nations
farmers are to get a new farm bill.
The North Dakota Democrat, along with Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., were
in Fargo Tuesday to meet with farmers and ag industry representatives from
both states.
Dorgan said there will be just 14 days after the Thanksgiving break to
get the Senate to approve its agriculture committees farm bill,
reconcile it in conference committee with a House-approved bill, then get
it approved by both houses of Congress for President Bushs signature.
This is going to be a struggle, Dorgan said, but the current
bill doesnt work; everyone understands it.
The Senate farm bill will cost $170 billion over the next 10 years.
Thats the same amount proposed in the House bill.
Dorgan said getting the bill approved before the end of the year will
preserve $73.5 million in aid set aside for farmers. Without a new farm
bill, he said that money will be lost.
Theres a lot riding on this, Dorgan said. He said hes
pushing to see it hit the Senate floor next week.
Powerful Republican senators have said they oppose cobbling together a
farm bill this year, among them, Minority Leader Trent Lott of
Mississippi, Dorgan said. In addition, he said the Bush Administration and
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman have tried to delay work on a farm bill
at every turn. The main bone of contention appears to be money, he
said, with opponents wanting farm subsidies cut further.
Dorgan said farm bill supporters may have to cobble together 60 votes
to avoid a threatened filibuster and get the farm bill to a vote on the
Senate floor. Were just going to have to round up the votes, he
said.
While he doesnt have a count of votes, he added, I really believe
we have the votes to move ahead.
The Senate bill offers a 70 percent increase in farm aid over the
current farm bill, dubbed Freedom to Farm. But it has 26 percent less aid
than Freedom to Farm and ad hoc disaster aid payments that have gone to
farmers over the last five years.
The Senate bill also funnels $1.2 billion more in commodity payments to
farmer in the first five years than the House bill.
Both bills include countercyclical payment programs that kick in
when crop prices are low.
Dayton said both the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill are a
much better deal for Minnesota and North Dakota farmers.
He said the Senate bill includes higher safety net prices to
guarantee minimum payments for farmers. But he, too, admitted its an
ambitious timetable.
Still, Dayton said if Republicans prevent the passage of a farm bill,
Itll be very clear who the obstructionists are.
Dorgan told the regions farm leaders that both the House and Senate
farm bills are far from perfect.
He said both can be improved in terms of increasing wheat and barley
price supports and balancing payments between commodities.
We can improve this every step of the way, Dorgan said.
All of the farm industry leaders who spoke to Dayton and Dorgan said
they supported a new farm bill.
Roger Johnson, North Dakotas agriculture commissioner, said we
all understand, its just critically important we get a bill this year. |