06/20/08 Veto twice, override twice

We've been down this road before but this is the end. The President vetoed the farm bill and Congress with little debate went to work and overrode the veto. In the House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said the Department of Agriculture is already implementing the programs as outlined by Congress when it passed the previous version of the bill in May. PETERSON "So we have gained a couple three weeks in that process and just a couple of days ago the administration secretary put out the loan rates and target prices for this crop year so that process is moving along." Ranking committee member Bob Goodlatte said the President was wrong to veto the bill. GOODLATTE "We brought this bill a long way with a long list of reforms that lower cost to the taxpayer and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs. Unlike the last farm bill which was singed into law by the President of the United States this farm bill is less expensive and contains many of the reforms that the President requested." By a nearly three to one margin the House voted against the President and it was an even larger margin in the Senate with an 80 to 14 vote to override the veto. Bottom line, all 15 titles in the farm bill including the previously missing trade-related section is now the law. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott