MEMPHIS – Criticisms of U.S. cotton farm programs are unwarranted. The truth: U.S. farm programs have operated as designed, supporting farmers’ incomes in times of low prices while allowing them to react to market signals. A report that dispels myths about U.S. farm law support to America’s cotton farmers can be found on the National…
DetailsWASHINGTON (June 27, 2008)—If it seems like Congress was voting on the farm bill every time you turned around, it’s probably because they have been. And industry insiders fear that the farm bill will not fade from the forefront anytime soon. The first public farm bill fight centered on the now-infamous Kind-Flake amendment. Despite the…
DetailsWASHINGTON (June 23, 2008)—Despite expressing some concerns with the farm bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture appears to be making implementation of the new law a top priority. In a press release sent out yesterday, the USDA announced 2008 loan rates as well as new marketing assistance loan and loan deficiency payment provisions from the…
DetailsThe farm bill has endured some rough obstacles in its venture to become law. Thankfully, many congressional members backed the farm bill to the very end. Farm Policy Facts would like to highlight some of their statements in support of the farm bill. “This is good legislation. It is good for the country and certainly…
DetailsWASHINGTON (May 23, 2008)—Despite a technical error and widespread confusion, 14 out of the 15 titles of the farm bill became law yesterday after the U.S. Senate voted to override President Bush’s veto. The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to override the veto. A technical glitch led to one of the bill’s sections—the title…
DetailsBy: Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 15, 2008: I come to the floor to ask my colleagues to work with me to pass one of the most critical economic stimulus packages this body will have a chance to vote on all year. This is a balanced proposal, both ensuring the viability…
DetailsBy: Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 15, 2008: Why a bill at all? Well, because our major competitors have much more ambitious support for their producers than we have for ours. This is a fact. The Europeans are providing more than three times as much support to their producers than we…
DetailsBy: Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 14, 2008: We have come to a point where I believe we have a good bill that should be supported by all Members of this Congress from both urban, suburban and rural areas. I have here a chart that shows how the current farm bill…
DetailsBy: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 14, 2008: This farm bill contains solid reforms while addressing a variety of issues including forestry, rural development, renewable energy, nutrition, conservation, research, specialty crops, and livestock and still maintains the safety net necessary to ensure a safe, reliable and affordable domestic food supply. This…
DetailsBy: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 15, 2008: [F]arming is a critical part of the economy in my home state of Washington. Many people don’t know it, but Washington is the Nation’s 11th-largest farm State. And we are the third-largest producer of fruits and vegetables–which are also known around here as…
DetailsBy: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 15, 2008: This farm bill is important for a lot of reasons. I don’t have time to get into all the details of why I think this bill is important, but it does preserve a strong safety net. It does provide a permanent disaster title,…
DetailsBy: Rep. Leonard Boswell (D – Iowa) Excerpt from Congressional Record May 14, 2008: Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this conference report… As chairman of the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee, working with my ranking member over here, Mr. Hayes, we have got the first-ever livestock title. It offers producers much-needed protections and…
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