04/10/08 Lots of opinions, still no farm bill

The clock that has been re-set a couple of times is ticking again and a week from Friday, April 18th is the deadline for Congress to pass a new Farm Bill. Get the job done says Idaho Senator Larry Craig. CRAIG "It speaks to our collective disfunctionality and so we ought to really work to get it done and not extend it for another period of time in my opinion and I think the opinion of American agriculture. I think that I am reasonably reflective of that." Iowa's Chuck Grassley says there are some major unresolved issues like the source of the ten billion dollars in additional farm bill funding and a tax package disagreement between the House and Senate involving several billions more. GRASSLEY "If we can't get it done by April 17th and that is planting date in my part of Iowa we ought to extend the existing farm bill for a year." Senator Mike Crapo is working with House-Senate conferees and at this point his reforms to the Endangered Species Act are still part of the farm bill financial package. CRAPO "Its possible that we could get right close to the finish line and then in the final compromise be left out but we are working very hard to make sure that that does not happen." Some Senators say the only way they'll vote to extend the April 18th deadline is an assurance that a final bill might be hours or days away. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott