12/10/07 Wiesemeyer on the farm bill

Farm and Ranch December 10, 2007 The Senate finally began debating a 2007 Farm Bill Friday after agreement was reached on amendments that can be made on the floor. Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin says with swift action the bill can pass the upper chamber by the holiday recess. But that still leaves the need for a conference with the House passed bill and long time Capitol Hill observer Jim Wiesemeyer of Informa says there is no way lawmakers can complete that work before the recess. Speaking at a recent ag convention Wiesemeyer says one key issue in the conference will be the finance package. Wiesemeyer: "There cannot be any tax increases in there defined by the White House." Where do you come up with the money if revenue enhancers are eliminated? Wiesemeyer asked House Ag Chairman Collin Peterson about across the board cuts and the chairman did not say no. Wiesemeyer: "Now that would affect direct payments and of course the key line there is what percent. No one knows. It depends on if they can pull out some programs such as that five-billion dollar ag disaster assistance fund. But watch that because to me that is about the only way that you can come up with some additional funding." Wiesemeyer thinks the Dorgan-Grassley amendment on payment limitations might be defeated on the Senate floor, but if it is not he says that will kill the farm bill. With House Speaker Pelosi being from California, Wiesemeyer says there will be specialty crop funding in the final bill. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.