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White House Against Farm Bill
Published Monday, May 12, 2008 at 04:55 AM
The White House says Congress should extend the current farm bill for at least one year - not pass the present document. But, in a lengthy statement, The White House failed to make a direct veto threat. Past veto threats have come mostly from the Department of Agriculture. As recently as Friday, U.S. Ag Secretary Ed Schafer said in no uncertain terms that the President will veto this bill when he gets it.

According to the White House statement - President Bush last week made clear that this is not the time to ask American families who are already paying more in the check-out line to pay more in subsidies to support a record-setting farm economy. The Administration made clear that any agreement to spend 10 billion dollars or more on farm programs must include real program reform. Instead, the Congress added new crops to subsidy mechanisms, increased crop subsidy levels, and included nearly 20 billion in additional spending, without significant reform.

Overall, the letter pointed out what the new proposed farm bill does and does not do and should have done. Again, there was no mention of a veto in the letter which was credited to the Office of the Press Secretary.

© 2008 The Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved.
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