03/04/05 B.P.A. not included; Keep them out

Northwest Senators announced that the Senate's proposed budget resolution for fiscal year 2006 will not contain language that will change the way power marketing administrations charge rates. That means Bonneville Power Administration and other regional utilities would not switch to a market rate system, as proposed by the President under his 2006 fiscal year budget proposal. The House is working on similar non-language in its budget resolution, in hopes of preventing an estimated twenty per cent increase in B.P.A. power rates under the President's plan. So did the U.S. Senate approve a resolution of disapproval to override U.S.D.A.'s proposed minimal risk rule which would allow Canadian live cattle thirty month of age or younger and beef from such cattle back into the U.S.? Yes, by a 52 to 46 margin, with several Democrats joined in the majority by farm state Republicans. The measure now moves to the House, which if it passes there will go to the President's desk. However, President Bush has already threatened a veto if the resolution passes Congress. U.S.D.A. plans to appeal Wednesday's court ruling that placed a temporary injunction on allowing some Canadian live cattle and beef back the U.S. That is the word from a U.S.D.A. spokesperson, who said the agency Thursday received the full injunction decision. What is not known is when the appeal would be filed or if such an appeal would be considered prior to the original March Seventh reopening date of the Canadian border. Federal Judge Richard Cebull, who granted the injunction, had ordered both U.S.D.A. and plaintiff R-C.A.L.F. U.S.A. to prepare a proposed schedule for a trial within ten days. So what does a World Trade Organization panel ruling upholding a previous decision against the U.S. cotton program have to do with agriculture in general? Farm state Senators are saying the ruling could have broad implications for the overall U.S. farm program, and could expedite Congress's process in shaping the 2007 Farm Bill. Brazil challenged components of the U.S. cotton program two years ago, with the W.T.O. siding with Brazil last September. In their initial ruling, and in ruling against the U.S. appeal yesterday, the W.T.O. said many U.S. programs include illegal export subsidies or domestic payments that are higher than permitted by W.T.O. rules. That is a point several Senators disagree with. In fact, Senate Ag Committee Chair Saxby Chambliss believes the W.T.O. ruling does not require immediate compliance.