11/08/07 Farm bill extension still a possibility

Farm and Ranch November 8, 2007 Disagreement over amendments to be allowed to the farm bill during Senate debate has bogged down progress of the legislation in the upper chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid placed limits on the ability of Republicans to offer amendments which he said was necessary to restrict amendments to issues related to the farm bill. Reid said he didn't want amendments offered on issues like Iraq, labor or the estate tax. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said his party won't allow Reid to pick amendments. South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune says any delays could mean some kind of extension of the 2002 Farm Bill. Thune: "This week and next are critical in terms of timing and if we don't get a farm bill through the Senate by the end of next then in all likelihood we might end up with some kind of extension. Because on November the 16th we have what they call a continuing resolution, expires. We have to pass another one and that would mean passing temporary extensions of the some of the farm bill provisions. And I suspect it would be very possible at that point that we not just pass a temporary extension but some sort of a long term extension that would take us into next year. So, my hope would be we can break this logjam. That both sides give a little bit and we can get on with the business of passing a farm bill. If not this week then for sure next week." One measure that will not be part of the farm bill is the AgJobs bill dealing with immigrant labor. Senator Diane Feinstein of California decided it could not successfully pass as part of the farm bill and would muddy the waters of an already complex piece of legislation. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.