Veneman: Farm Bill Going Forward

By Philip Brasher
AP Farm Writer
Oct. 11, 2001

WASHINGTON –– Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman conceded Thursday that Congress will push ahead over Bush administration objections with major revisions in farm policy and promised to work with the Senate in writing legislation.

"We would prefer that we have more time to complete a thoughtful farm bill, but if the leadership is going forward to try and complete a farm bill, we want to make sure that we have appropriate input into the process," Veneman said.

The House approved legislation last week to extend farm and conservation assistance programs at a cost of $170 billion over the next 10 years. The administration had appealed to House leaders to delay work on the bill, saying it was too soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to commit that much money to farm subsidies.

Authors of the House bill said the administration intervened too late and provided no alternative proposals.

The White House stopped short of threatening a veto but said the bill provides too little money for conservation programs and would benefit big farms that need federal help the least.

The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to start writing its version of the bill next week, beginning with sections that are relatively uncontroversial.

The administration is still trying to agree on how what spending levels it will support, Veneman said.

"All the budget issues are really up in the air right now," she said.

As with the House, the administration so far has offered no ideas to the Senate either, said Seth Boffeli, a spokesman for the Sen. Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee.

"He's looking forward to getting more information from the administration about what they would like to see in the bill. ... He's hopeful they will gather support for some of the principles they are in favor of."

Harkin shares some of the Republican administration's misgivings about farm programs, but his committee is dominated by senators from states that are the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidies.

The administration has endorsed specifically the idea of rewarding farmers for improvements in farm practices that prevent environmental problems, such as runoff of chemicals and animal waste. Harkin is expected to push for such a plan in the Senate's farm bill.

At a meeting of poultry industry officials Thursday, Veneman proposed creation of a special fund to pay for expanding programs in food safety and prevention of livestock and animal diseases. With such a fund, her department would not have to make specific funding requests from Congress each year.

She did not say how much money would be needed and recognized that lawmakers have been loathe to give up their authority over the department's spending.