WASHINGTON — Omnibus budget bill progresses
Congressional negotiators struggled to cut hundreds of federal programs, big and small, as they fashioned a $500 billion- plus catchall government funding bill Thursday.
But agreement with the White House remained elusive, even though negotiations went ahead on the assumption that Democrats would largely accept President Bush’s strict budget for domestic programs and that he would ease up a bit if additional funding for Iraq is approved.
In the meantime, the House passed a bill to keep the federal government open for another week to give negotiators time to fashion the omnibus spending bill, pass it in both the House and Senate and then adjourn for the year.
The House passed the short-term funding bill by a 385-27 vote; Senate approval Thursday evening sent it to President Bush. WASHINGTON — The Senate rejected two attempts to limit annual payments to farmers Thursday, frustrating lawmakers who had hoped that this year’s multibillion-dollar farm bill would scale back the government’s massive subsidy programs.
Senators voted 78-12 late Thursday to cut off debate on the bill and drop some amendments that were not farm-related. A final vote may come as early as today.
Earlier, the chamber rejected, 56-43, a bipartisan amendment to the $286 billion bill that would have limited overall farm payments to $250,000 yearly per married couple, down from the current limit of $360,000.
The amendment also was meant to close loopholes that allow some farmers to collect higher payments and required that farmers be “actively engaged” to receive subsidies.
“We have a federal farm program to help family farmers make it through tough times,” said North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, a Democrat who sponsored the amendment with Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. “It was not created to send multimillion-dollar payments to giant corporate farms, or payments to people who haven’t been near a farm in decades.”
Later in the day, senators rejected an amendment by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, that would have banned payments to farmers who make more than $750,000 a year, after expenses. The vote was 48-47, and 60 votes were required for adoption.
Senate Agriculture chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, had hoped to take significant steps to reduce subsidies in the five-year farm legislation this year but was stymied by Southern lawmakers who favor current law. Southern crops such as rice and cotton are more expensive to produce.
Harkin voted for both amendments, arguing that they would make his bill better.
The amendments were the latest attempt to reduce subsidies to wealthy farmers. The Senate also rejected a move Tuesday by Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., to phase out most farm subsidies and replace them with stronger crop insurance for all farmers.
The overall bill would extend and expand crop and dairy subsidies along with popular nutrition aid programs, including food stamps. Most of those programs have been operating under a temporary extension since the last five-year farm law expired Sept. 30.
The Bush administration has threatened to veto the bill, arguing it doesn’t go far enough to reduce subsidies.
