| House pitches shorter farm bill |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Administrator |
| Monday, 30 July 2012 12:35 |
|
House pitches shorter farm bill
July 16, 2012 Politico David Rogers Anxious to show progress before the August recess, House Republicans unveiled legislation late Friday that would extend most current farm programs for one year while providing immediate disaster aid to livestock producers impacted by this summer’s severe drought. Direct cash payments would be trimmed modestly to help cover the costs, but their extension is controversial in itself since both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have recommended reforms that would end the multibillion-dollar subsidies. The Senate approved its new five-year plan in June, but House floor action has been blocked by Republican leaders fearful of divisions in the GOP’s ranks. The one-year extension now is seen by many as a calculated effort to kill any chance of enacting the larger bills in this Congress, and it sets up what could be a highly charged partisan vote on the House floor next week. “Congress should not be playing politics with the rural economy, one of our nation’s economic bright spots,” said Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the House Ag panel. “I am against an extension and will remain opposed until I receive assurances that this is the path to conference a five-year farm bill with the Senate. Farmers need the certainty of a five-year farm bill.” The outlook in the Senate is grim as well. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), a former Agriculture secretary in the Bush administration, has roundly criticized any extension of direct payments, now costing $5 billion a year. And in what appears a slap at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the House draft specifically repeals a desert lakes program he has championed. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) is still pressing for action on his five-year bill, reported with bipartisan support July 12. But given the cards he has been dealt, Lucas will support the extension as an interim step to provide some protection for producers after Sept. 30. “It is critical that we provide certainty to our producers and address the devastating drought conditions that are affecting most of the country, and I look forward to supporting and advancing this legislation,” the chairman said Friday. But Peterson’s opposition could be fatal given the two men’s long history of working together. The Democrat wants some promise from Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that the extension can be used as a vehicle to begin talks in August with the Senate on a longer-term package. But this option has met strong resistance from a coalition of taxpayer and environmental groups who weighed in Friday with a letter warning Boehner against accepting any such “Trojan horse.” Filling 48 pages, the extension was posted quietly on the House Rules Committee website in anticipation of a hearing Tuesday, clearing the way for floor action before the recess. The draft appears far more complex than past farm bill extensions, which have been carried out in a few pages. Indeed, having boxed themselves in, GOP leaders are now fearful of sending their farm-state members home without some political cover in August given the severe drought. But it remains very unclear if the one-year bill is enough to protect Republican candidates. Anticipating a floor fight, the draft has been formatted to try to hold conservative votes by boasting a net deficit reduction of almost $400 million over 10 years, even with the added livestock aid. But in fact, this is substantially smaller savings than the five-year plans promise since the extension continues costly policies, like direct payments, for another year. The biggest area of agreement is the new disaster assistance for livestock producers, contending with parched grazing lands and higher feed prices. The total new spending will cost about $621 million over 10 years and appears to include some assistance for specialty crop producers, who also don’t have the protection of crop insurance. Livestock Indemnity Payments, forage disaster programs and emergency assistance would be reauthorized for 2012 and 2013, filling a gap in the current farm law. To cover the costs, caps are placed on spending for several conservation and lands programs. Direct payments would be trimmed by reducing the percentage paid on a producer’s “base acres” under a program first begun in the mid-90s. Payments now are on 85 percent of a producer’s base acres; the bill would trim that to 84.5 percent. To view this story at its original source, follow this link:
|