[Faith & Hunger] House Rejects Effort to Change Crop Subsidies in Farm Bill

[Dunleamark at aol.com]

House panel votes to extend 2002 crop subsidies 
Washington Post
Washington, DC 
June 19, 2007 
By Charles Abbott 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Members of a House Agriculture subcommittee voted to 
extend a three-part crop subsidy system in force since 2002 on Tuesday, 
effectively defeating a package of modest changes written by committee leaders. 
Panel members said budget constraints made current law the best option. The 
2002 law is popular in farm country, they said, and there is no consensus among 
farm groups on a replacement. Members voted 18-0 to base the new farm bill on 
an extension of current crop support rules. 
"Absent additional dollars, this, I think, is the best outcome," said Kansas 
Republican Jerry Moran, who argued for the extension. Due to high market 
prices, roughly $7 billion a year will be available for grain, cotton and soybean 
supports in coming years, down more than 40 percent from recent years.  
During a two-hour series of votes, the panel rejected two proposals for 
sweeping change in the farm program and the Bush administration proposal to put 
more reliance on guaranteed payments to growers. 
Committee chairman Collin Peterson, Minnesota Democrat, wrote a package that 
would have pared direct payments, which are guaranteed every year to farmers, 
in order to put more money into support prices, which set a minimum price for 
crops, and into counter-cyclical payments, made when returns are below targets 
set by law. 
Before the subcommittee session, Peterson said Southern lawmakers objected to 
his proposal that all crop subsidy payments be tracked to individuals. At 
present, payments can be collected indirectly. 
The antihunger group Bread for the World said the panel "ignored calls from 
thousands of constituents and a broad coalition of groups saying that it is 
time for broad reform." 
-------------------------- 
>From FRAC 
_The News in Brief and a Look Ahead_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#a)  
House floor action on the 2007 Farm Bill has been delayed  to late July 
because of the press of   FY 2008 appropriations bills, leading House Agriculture 
Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) to postpone _full Committee mark up_ 
(mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b1)  until after the July 4th recess. _FRAC and 
allies aim to add to food stamp investments made in the Subcommittee-approved 
nutrition title as well as defend against negative amendments in Committee and 
on the floor_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b5) .  Growing support for the 
McGovern/Emerson Bill _(H.R. 2129_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b8) ) continues to 
improve prospects for new Food Stamp Program investments. 
_In Focus:  2007 Farm Bill_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b)  
_Outlook_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b1) :  With approval of current crop 
support policy on June 19th, the 2007 Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) now has cleared all 
House Agriculture Committee subcommittees and will go to full Committee mark 
up after the July 4th recess.  According to Reuters, “H.R. 2419, the 
placeholder filed by Peterson for the farm bill, would extend the 2002 law unless 
replaced by a committee text….So far, House subcommittees have agreed to expand 
biofuel, stewardship and nutrition spending by $13 billion over five years 
without knowing where the money will be found.  [Senate Agriculture Committee 
chairman Tom] Harkin said $20 billion in new funding would be enough for ‘a bill I 
can guarantee you will pass the Senate and be widely supported.’ Without new 
funding, ‘I'm not certain we'll ever get a bill passed.’” See “Congress 
opposes status quo farm bill: senator,” by Charles Abbott, Reuters, 6/21/07, posted 
at _http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3303428_ 
(http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3303428)    
_Senate Discussions of “No Cost” Provisions_ 
(mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b2) :  This past week Senate Agriculture Committee staff convened a meeting with 
panel Members’ staff regarding the outlook for policy changes in an 
unfinanced nutrition title.  This does not mean that the Committee necessarily will 
adopt a “no cost” nutrition title, but the staff laid out what little might be 
on the table in the absence of new funding.  FRAC and allies continue to push 
for financing of the FY 2008 Budget Resolution’s $20 billion farm bill so that 
the Committee will have resources for Food Stamp improvements. 
_Durbin Letter_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b3) :  By letter on June 18th, 
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and more than a third of his colleagues urged Senate 
Agriculture Committee leaders to strengthen the Food Stamp Program and other 
nutrition initiatives in the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  
Joining Durbin were: Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Jeff 
Bingaman (D-NM), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), 
Ben Cardin (D-MD), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Byron Dorgan 
(D-ND), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), John 
Kerry (D-MA), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), 
Carl Levin (D-MI), Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Robert 
Menendez (D-NJ), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), 
Barack Obama (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), John Rockefeller (D-WV), Bernard 
Sanders (D-VT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), 
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).   See release and letter text 
posted at _http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=277204_ 
(http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=277204)  
_House Ag Subcommittee Nutrition Title_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b4) : Go 
to _http://www.frac.org/Legislative/farmBill2007/alerts/06.15.07.html_ 
(http://www.frac.org/Legislative/farmBill2007/alerts/06.15.07.html)  for FRAC’s 
alert with information on the nutrition title that cleared a House Agriculture 
subcommittee on June 14th.  The bill makes modest but important improvements in 
benefit adequacy and resource rules.  FRAC aims to strengthen its provisions 
throughout the process, including by seeking an increase in the $10 minimum 
monthly benefit and more significant raises on asset limits.  
_Action Needed_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b5) : The full House Agriculture 
Committee will mark up the entire 2007 Farm Bill in July.  The stakes are 
high.  While there are important opportunities to improve the nutrition safety 
net (as the Subcommittee bill begins to do), negative amendments also threaten.  
 Particularly worrisome are rumored amendments that would undermine immigrant 
access, undo categorical eligibility for low-income working households that 
get services funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 
Program, and strike protections against privatization of food stamp enrollment 
functions.  
_Immediate Action Needed_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b6) :  _House Ag 
Committee_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b7) —Contact Members of the House 
Agriculture Committee to urge their support for a strong nutrition title that invests 
in food stamp benefit adequacy and access and emergency feeding.  Ask the House 
Agriculture Committee to sustain food stamp and emergency feeding investments 
in the Subcommittee-approved bill and add to them while opposing weakening 
amendments.  Contacts for the House Ag Committee are posted at 
_http://www.frac.org/pdf/110thcongress.pdf_ (http://www.frac.org/pdf/110thcongress.pdf)     
_Members of Congress_ (mip://0295e5c0/default.html#b8) —Urge Members to cosponsor 
H.R. 2129. _http://www.frac.org/html/news/FAF_Act07_Summary.html_ 
(http://www.frac.org/html/news/FAF_Act07_Summary.html)  
H.R. 2129 cosponsors now number 106.    For a summary of H.R. 2129, go to 
_http://www.frac.org/html/news/FAF_Act07_Summary.html_ 
(http://www.frac.org/html/news/FAF_Act07_Summary.html)  




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