Senate passes veto-proof farm bill
Senate passes veto-proof farm bill
WASHINGTON -- The day after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the farm bill, the Senate approved the nearly $300 billion bill by a 81- 15 vote, ensuring a veto-proof majority and securing a new voice for fruit and vegetable programs on Capitol Hill.
"This bill provides more funding for fruit and vegetable industry programs and priorities than any other farm bill in history, attention that is well deserved and has been long awaited and signals that the times are changing," said Produce Marketing Association President Bryan Silbermann.
"On behalf of vegetable, fruit and nut growers, I urge the president to sign this bill," said Tom Nassif, president and chief executive officer of Western Growers Association. "Specialty crop farmers have never sought direct subsidies even though we represent half of the total crop farmgate value in this country."
The farm bill includes some $3 billion in specialty crop priorities for nutrition, pest and disease programs, trade assistance, conservation and research. It also includes the country-of-origin labeling compromise that Kathy Means, PMA's vice president of government relations, said would reduce fines for retailers, minimize recordkeeping and allow state-sanctioned labeling programs such as Washington apples to satisfy labeling rules. Ms. Means said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning to issue a rule on the farm bill program this summer.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) praised the new legislation. "From bringing healthier, American-grown food to our children and seniors, to supporting specialty crop growers who have been negatively affected by unfair trade practices, this legislation is a victory both for producers and consumers," said Sen. Stabenow, who was a leading voice in advocating specialty crop programs during farm bill negotiations.
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said that as promised, President Bush would veto the bill because it is "trade distorting and fails to provide meaningful reform to the adjusted gross income limit, beneficial interest or the international food aid program." If President Bush vetoes the bill, the House and Senate would need a two-thirds majority to override his veto, which would seem likely given the overwhelming votes in both chambers.
AgJOBS attached to war spending bill
While a boon to specialty crop programs, the farm bill is silent on the labor crisis ravaging the produce industry. But on the same day the farm bill sailed through the Senate, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) attached an emergency agricultural worker bill, known as AgJOBS, to the emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
That amendment would grant temporary, limited immigration status for experienced farmworkers who would be required to continue to work in American agriculture for the next five years, she said. Sen. Feinstein, who co- authored the amendment with Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), said that labor shortages have forced 13,280 farms in the United States to shut down and relocate to Mexico in the last year.
"This is not amnesty," said the senator from California. "It is an emergency agricultural worker bill which will give protected status to those workers who have worked in agriculture within the last 48 months. They must work at least 100 days a year in agriculture for the next five years, and it includes a five- year sunset. This bill also reforms and streamlines the H-2A program."
The powerful Senate Appropriations Committee approved the amendment by a 17-12 vote, but it is far from clear whether domestic spending matters will survive in an emergency war spending bill. The full Senate plans to take up the bill next week (May 19-23).
"For more than a year, I have tried to move this bill, and we have not been able to find a vehicle," said Sen. Feinstein. "This is an emergency situation."
"This bill provides more funding for fruit and vegetable industry programs and priorities than any other farm bill in history, attention that is well deserved and has been long awaited and signals that the times are changing," said Produce Marketing Association President Bryan Silbermann.
"On behalf of vegetable, fruit and nut growers, I urge the president to sign this bill," said Tom Nassif, president and chief executive officer of Western Growers Association. "Specialty crop farmers have never sought direct subsidies even though we represent half of the total crop farmgate value in this country."
The farm bill includes some $3 billion in specialty crop priorities for nutrition, pest and disease programs, trade assistance, conservation and research. It also includes the country-of-origin labeling compromise that Kathy Means, PMA's vice president of government relations, said would reduce fines for retailers, minimize recordkeeping and allow state-sanctioned labeling programs such as Washington apples to satisfy labeling rules. Ms. Means said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning to issue a rule on the farm bill program this summer.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) praised the new legislation. "From bringing healthier, American-grown food to our children and seniors, to supporting specialty crop growers who have been negatively affected by unfair trade practices, this legislation is a victory both for producers and consumers," said Sen. Stabenow, who was a leading voice in advocating specialty crop programs during farm bill negotiations.
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said that as promised, President Bush would veto the bill because it is "trade distorting and fails to provide meaningful reform to the adjusted gross income limit, beneficial interest or the international food aid program." If President Bush vetoes the bill, the House and Senate would need a two-thirds majority to override his veto, which would seem likely given the overwhelming votes in both chambers.
AgJOBS attached to war spending bill
While a boon to specialty crop programs, the farm bill is silent on the labor crisis ravaging the produce industry. But on the same day the farm bill sailed through the Senate, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) attached an emergency agricultural worker bill, known as AgJOBS, to the emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
That amendment would grant temporary, limited immigration status for experienced farmworkers who would be required to continue to work in American agriculture for the next five years, she said. Sen. Feinstein, who co- authored the amendment with Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), said that labor shortages have forced 13,280 farms in the United States to shut down and relocate to Mexico in the last year.
"This is not amnesty," said the senator from California. "It is an emergency agricultural worker bill which will give protected status to those workers who have worked in agriculture within the last 48 months. They must work at least 100 days a year in agriculture for the next five years, and it includes a five- year sunset. This bill also reforms and streamlines the H-2A program."
The powerful Senate Appropriations Committee approved the amendment by a 17-12 vote, but it is far from clear whether domestic spending matters will survive in an emergency war spending bill. The full Senate plans to take up the bill next week (May 19-23).
"For more than a year, I have tried to move this bill, and we have not been able to find a vehicle," said Sen. Feinstein. "This is an emergency situation."
