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WASHINGTON (AP) While a Democratic-backed overhaul of farm subsidies waits in the Senate, President Bush said Wednesday he wants generous but affordable farm legislation that adheres to budget limits and gives farmers a safety net without leading to an overproduction of crops. His agriculture secretary said the Democrats bill raises subsidy rates up to 20 percent and could encourage such overproduction and drive down commodity prices. This creates pressure for more government payments, thereby creating a self-defeating and ultimately unsustainable cycle, said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. The remarks by Bush and Veneman to a farm convention meeting were the administrations first substantive comments on the Senate farm bill. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle planned to bring it to a vote by next week. The legislation faces a Republican filibuster. The administration favors a GOP farm bill that has lower subsidy rates and would provide assistance to a broader range of farmers. The Republican plan would set up subsidized IRA-style savings accounts that would let farmers sock away income in good years to use when crops or prices are poor. A good farm bill should keep a safety net under our food producers without misleading our farmers into overproducing crops that are already in oversupply, Bush said. A good farm bill should be generous but affordable. It should honor the budget limits that Congress has agreed to live by. Existing farm programs do not expire until next fall, but Daschle says growers need the assistance that would be provided by the Senate bill. He also raised concerns about whether the Agriculture Department would have time to write rules for new programs if Congress does not soon finish the legislation. I dont think you can emphasize enough the urgency with which we need to address farm legislation, said Daschle, D-S.D. Democrats forced their bill through the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this month after giving Southern senators more money for big farms and adding a dairy program that could raise retail milk prices. Some farm groups are concerned that there will be less money available for their subsidies if Congress waits until next year to reauthorize the programs. Its time to provide some certainty and stability to our producers, said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The measure faces a series of amendments on the Senate floor, including the GOP subsidy plan and a move by environmentalists to shift billions in crop subsidies into conservation programs. Both the Senate bill and one passed by the House in October would cost about $170 billion over the next 10 years, the ceiling set in this years congressional budget agreement. The Senate legislation would have to be renewed in five years.