05/13/08 Farm bill showdown

Farm and Ranch May 13, 2008 The U.S. House and Senate will be voting this week on the farm bill conference report. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer says President Bush will veto the bill. And Friday is the expiration of the most recent extension of the 2002 Farm Bill minus commodity payments. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin seem confident the Senate will pass a bill with enough votes to override a presidential veto. Harkin: "Keep in mind we had 79 votes for our farm bill in the Senate and more votes than any farm bill that has ever passed the Senate. And quite frankly I don't see why we would lose any over our conference agreement. In fact we might even pick up a couple." House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson says he and ranking Republican Bob Goodlatte are working to get a strong vote in the House. Peterson: "Would have had a strong vote in July had we not had that tax issue come in. That tax issue has been resolved." Goodlatte says House members need to consider their votes from the standpoint of their own districts. Goodlatte: "And they need to be able to vote as they think as appropriate and I think that will happen, and if that does happen traditionally farm bills have had strong bi-partisan support." And Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer acknowledges, the Administration faces a tough vote. Schafer: "I do know we have an uphill battle here to sustain a veto." If a presidential veto were to be sustained, Schafer says the Administration would like a two-year extension of the 2002 Farm Bill. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.