04/14/08 The farm bill; it's still about the money

Farm and Ranch April 14, 2008 This Friday the latest extension of the 2002 Farm Bill expires. Will the House and Senate be able to come to agreement on a new farm bill by that deadline? Schafer: "They have been at it for two years and we are down to the last days and we don't have anything solved. That does not give me a lot of optimism that they can get it done." That's the assessment of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer following the first formal farm bill conference between the House and Senate late last week. At that session House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson offered a farm bill that only spends 5.5 billion dollars over the baseline, not 10 billion, and which does not include a disaster program the Senate wants. Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin responded to the House offer. Harkin: "We agreed on 10-billion dollars. That is what we will send back. It will be a 10 billion dollar above baseline. Where that money comes from is up to Finance and Ways and Means. I agree with Chairman Peterson, I don't have a dog in that fight. It is up to them to decide where it comes from." Peterson says the revenue for his 5.5 billion dollar increase is offset by increased income from stricter rules on reporting credit card transactions from retailers. An offset Peterson says has bi-partisan support from House leadership on down, which he thought the Administration would support. But according to USDA Deputy Secretary Chuck Connor; Connor: "The Administration would not support using the credit card to come up with 5.5 billion dollars of new revenues to offset the farm bill." And the clock keeps ticking. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.