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Senate Scheduled To Take Up Farm Bill This Week The Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Tom Harkin (D-IA), announced last week that his committee will meet this Wednesday to consider provisions in the Farm Bill. Once completed in committee, the bill could move directly to the Senate floor soon, maybe as early as late this week.The Senate mark-up document released by the chairman includes forward contracting and establishment of a Federal Order Commission, both provisions sought by IDFA, and drops implementation of the dairy import assessment, also a position advocated by IDFA. It continues the Dairy Price Support Program, enhances the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program to provide larger payments and keeps language to streamline the process of changing Federal Milk Marketing Orders. On sugar provisions, the Senate Agriculture Committee is considering enhancing the program even more than what was included in the House bill. The Coalition for Sugar Reform is working with Senate offices to try to affect these provisions, but the lobbying force of the sugar growers is quite formidable and tough to beat. All of these provisions are subject to change when the Agriculture Committee and perhaps the full Senate weigh in this week, but these are likely to remain the elements of discussion on dairy. Last week, Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who is the ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, predicted that the Senate and House would complete a conference on their respective Farm Bill provisions and get a bill to President Bush before adjournment this session. Many others believe this could easily drag into next year.
Posted October 22, 2007
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