05/22/08 House overrides veto of farm bill missing trade title

Farm and Ranch May 22, 2008 President Bush vetoed the farm bill yesterday that Congress sent him on Tuesday. Hours later the U.S. House easily overrode the President's veto. As the House took up the debate to override, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson explained there was something missing in the bill the President vetoed. Peterson: "When the enrolling clerk enrolled the bill to send to the White House they somehow inadvertently, or however it happened, did not include the Trade Title, Title III of the bill in the official documents that went to the White House. So the President vetoed the bill minus the Trade Title, Tile III." House Minority Leader John Boehner questioned whether lawmakers should proceed overriding the veto of a bill missing a title. Boehnor: "It is not just me as a member, I think there are other members on both sides of the aisle that are wondering should we proceed with this and is what we are doing constitutional? Is it breaking precedent with what we have done in the past." Chairman Peterson pointed out the override vote was on the bill as the President got it and the House proceeded to override the President's action. How the Trade Title will be addressed wasn't immediately clear. The Senate is expected to override the President's veto today. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.