Farm Bill impasse broken, amendments under debate
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

Late last week the impasse on how to proceed with the Senate's version of the Farm Bill was fi- nally broken, but farmers are concerned over which amendments will be attached to the legislation.

The Farm Bill is a major bill which affects not only commodity prices and subsidies, but also food safety and nutrition programs, soil and water conservation, plant inspection and a host of programs that impact more than just agricultural producers, who comprise Wharton County's largest industry. The last Farm Bill passed in 2002 and expired Sept. 30.

The current Farm Bill had been stalled in the Senate since the House passed its version this summer. The situation left farmers in a bind as they prepared for the coming growing season.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, filed a motion to invoke cloture on the Farm Bill in an effort to limit debate and lead to a vote on final passage. He tried to do so the week before Thanksgiving, but only got 55 of the 60 votes needed for passage.

The agreement allows each side to offer 20 amendments to the bill. Senate staff were to have worked through the weekend to weed through the existing 380 amendments filed before Thanksgiving.

Jeff Nunley, executive director of the South Texas Cotton and Grain Association in Victoria, said there is major concern about two different amendments which would entirely restructure the way commodity payments are made.

Those are the Luger-Lautenberg "FRESH" amendment, which would entirely restructure commodity payments and the Dorgan-Grassley amendment, which would cap commodity program payments at $250,000 instead of the current cap of $360,000.

"Luger-Lautenberg, that one could be a very damaging amendment for agriculture, as it basically does away with the current structure of the Farm Bill and converts our program into a crop insurance program," Nunley said. "I hope they come to their senses and vote against that."

Nunley's group represents grain and cotton farmers in 33 counties in the Coastal Bend, from Fort Bend County south to Kleburg County and out west into the Winter Garden area.

He said he understood Sen. Reid hoped to have the bill passed in the Senate by Christmas.

"I've heard they want to have it done before the 14th, which is Friday," Nunley said. "I think that may be a bit ambitious."

He's said both the Senate and House Farm Bills maintain most of the structure of the existing

of the existing farm bill, although both have some reforms on payment limits "which is actually good because there's been a lot of calls

for status quo

for reform."

Senators came up with an agreed-upon process allowing 20 amendments per side - farmrelated or not - with that list being made up of amendments on a first come-first served basis. During debate, if one senator objects to the consideration of the amendment, it will be thrown out and not debated.

If the Farm Bill passes the Senate, common ground must be attained before the bill goes to the president who may or may not sign it.