Farm bill status uncertain
The status of the new farm bill seems to be anybody's guess, according to North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson.
"Nobody really knows right now what's going on," he said. "I met with Chairman (Rep. Collin) Peterson (D-Minn.), of the House Ag Committee. I met with some of the folks on the Senate side and we heard from (Ag) Secretary (Ed) Schafer when he addressed our group (National Association of State Agriculture Directors). I got three, very different stories."
The House passed its version of the farm bill in July and the Senate in December, President Bush has threatened to veto either version. However, recent Associated Press reports from Congress have members of the House Agriculture Committee negotiating with the White House to find a compromise that the president will sign.
The lack of progress in finalizing a farm bill takes on added significance with the expiration of the existing farm legislation just one month away.
"The House has made it clear that if a new farm bill isn't passed by March 15, when the current farm bill expires, they will let it go back to permanent law," Johnson said.
The "permanent laws" are the laws that were on the books in the 1930s and '40s. All farm legislation since then has been temporary with a fixed start and end date. If the farm programs reverted back to the Depression era a number of farm commodities, like soybeans, wouldn't be covered and conservation programs, such as CRP, might cease.
Also, the permanent laws don't include the nutrition programs that have been part of farm programs since the 1950s. Programs such as food stamps and school hot lunch programs would, at least temporarily, be suspended if there is no new farm bill in place.
"If we went to permanent law it would set the stage where everyone would have to scramble," Johnson said. "Permanent law just isn't sustainable, but it is a huge club the House is holding over everyone's head."
That club would hit harder on the nutrition programs than on production agriculture.
