Posted on 11/16/2007 11:26:34 AM PST by SmithL
The Senate blocked a $286 billion farm bill Friday, a blow to farm-state lawmakers who wanted to give their constituents expanded subsidies before next year's elections.
Though politically popular, the bill stalled in a dispute between the parties over unrelated amendments that Republicans wanted to add. Democrats failed to get the 60 votes they needed to cut off debate on the measure. The final vote was 55-42.
The vote could push consideration of the legislation into 2008 or beyond. Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Thursday that the bill may fare better after next year's elections, with a new Congress and a new president.
The Bush administration has issued a veto threat against the bill, saying it is too expensive and would pay wealthy farmers too much.
Harkin speculated on the floor Friday that the White House is pressuring Republicans to stop the bill because President Bush doesn't want to veto legislation that is so popular in farm states.
"I certainly hope the situation is not a deliberate, or orchestrated, attempt to stop the farm bill dead in its tracks, but I'm beginning to wonder," Harkin said.
Farm state Democrats headed home for the Thanksgiving recess are preparing to blame Republicans for slowing down the legislation. Some Republicans wanted to offer amendments dealing with the alternative minimum tax, immigration and other nonagricultural issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
last time i checked, running a farm was a business.....if you cannot manage your business and make a profit, the government should not subsidize you, you should go bankrupt, and let a more business saavy farmer buy you out and take over...end all subsidies....
Gridlock is so fine.
“The vote could push consideration of the legislation into 2008 or beyond. Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Thursday that the bill may fare better after next year’s elections, with a new Congress and a new president.”
_________
“Hey, you conservative farmers! Donate and vote for us and we’ll give you FREE STUFF!
Amen!! America’s farmers are the richest welfare queens in the world.
Oh, I forgot:
Harkin is a tool.
Got to protect those farmers. I heard Steve Forbes on a radio show a few days ago say that Brazil cannot import sugar ethanol into the US because of a $.54 per gallon tariff to protect our corn ethanol producers.
Drive out into western Minnesota to sugar beet country. You will see some of the wealthiest farmers in the world, courtesy of you and me.
Great! We got a reprieve. This means that NAIS won’t become mandatory this session.
socialism for farmers
CRP land, for instance, is nothing more than a direct subsidy to hunting preserves for wealthy urbanites.
The Farm Bill would have paid out subsidies to millionaires “farmers” living in Manhattan!!
That’s what this map says at least: http://theelectoralmap.com/2007/11/12/mapping-out-ridiculous-congressional-legislation/
Yes, Tariffs to protect C&H sugar and 500 jobs in Hawaii. But look what we get for these 500 jobs.....
1.) 10,000 jobs lost in the US Candy industry due to higher sugar prices
2.) Increased produce prices so farmers can grow more corn to produce high fructose corn syrup
3.) Increased diabetes resulting with the increased use of fructose as a sugar substitute
5.) Higher gas prices for the consumer (sugar ethanol is cheaper)
6.) Environmental damage (corn ethanol has at least a 8 times greater impact on the environment over sugar ethanol).
The many, many farmers, seed companies and agri-chemical companies salivating over government-funded fuel corn production are not pleased. Not pleased at all.
Farm subsidies are such a scam. A friend of mine who has horses and timber on his dads old farmstead gets money from the government so he wont plant any corn on his land.. and he never has or never will farm. Let free markets determine the costs of produce. If someone wants to plant as much of a crop to make biofuel, let him, but dont expect me to subsidize a 5$ box of cereal.
We have a small family farm and grew and sold hay for several years. Hay was plentiful and cheap at that time. The government tried to pay us not to grow hay in order to drive up the hay prices. We told them to stuff it.
Good.
Now take all copies of the bill down to Dupont Circle and BURN THEM.
Good. This is just one more unofficial entitlement that we do not need on our backs. Let the farmers raise crops that will make them a fair profit or sell out.
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