News Room

Reid and Pelosi press for farm bill passage

It took a meeting with house speaker Nancy Pelosi to jump start the stalled farm bill effort. But despite a deal to raise new money for the bill, many issues remain unsettled. Pelosi and senate democratic leader Harry Reid directed their sides to get the farm bill done, arranging an infusion of some 10-billion in new money that the tax writing chairs will come up with.

Senate ag chair Tom Harkin says the tax chairs should have the final number by Friday but how much sensitive areas like permanent disaster aid get, will have to be worked out. "We made a good faith promise we'll do something on disaster, they're going to give us the money. Now how much, we don't know."

Some funding sources have raised veto threats by the white house. House ag chair Collin Peterson said, "we're working with them. I had a good meeting with Chuck Conner just now and he knows what we're talking about."

And can Democrats get a farm bill passed with 10-billion above budget? Senate chair Harkin said it's tight but he and Peterson are also looking for internal bill savings and program timing shifts to have enough. But where the savings come from, whether commodities, payment limits or other items will be crucial to determining if they have enough political support.

A formal house-senate conference could happen as early as next week but getting a bill passed by March 15th when an earlier extension of the '02 law expires will be tough. Peterson conceded while policy differences may be worked out, enactment might not be done. Harkin said another short-term extension would then be needed.

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