Reauthorization of our federal farm policy comes around every five years or so, and with it comes great debate about how to provide needed support to our farmers, ranchers and rural communities; fund important nutrition, conservation and energy programs; and do all of this in a fiscally responsible manner. The time has come again for the full Senate to take up this debate.
As a rancher, I know firsthand the challenges faced by our nation’s farmers and ranchers, and I believe strongly that federal agricultural policy can help ease some of those challenges while strengthening our agricultural economy and economic security.
The Food and Energy Security Act of 2007 is commonly referred to as the Farm Bill.
This legislation is designed to guide American agriculture through 2012 in the areas of commodities, conservation, trade, nutrition, farm credit, rural development, research, forestry, energy and livestock.
During the debate of the bill in the Senate, I will provide periodic updates here on amendments I am offering, statements I have made, observations on other amendments, and more. Please check back often for the latest news.
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May 15 Thursday |
The Senate passed the final Farm Bill Conference Report by a vote of 81-15, sending the bill to the President. This followed an equally strong vote in the House of 318-106 on May 14. Though the President has threatened a veto, I am confident that both the House and the Senate have enough support to override it.
"To the White House and to our president, I would say, Mr. President, you and your people have been at the table working on this program with us for well over a year. It’s time you recognize the value of this program, what has been put into new agricultural policy, and support us in that effort." |
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Apr 24 Thursday |
My objection to another extension
As promised, today I objected to another automatic, short-term extension of current farm bill law – the fourth extension requested to date. Following a colloquy with the principal farm bill negotiators, I agreed to another one-week extension to maintain a sense of urgency in Congress, as is felt by the agriculture community, to bring this process to completion. |
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Apr 17 Thursday |
The 2007 Farm Bill expired September 30, 2007 and Congress has passed a series of short term extensions since that time to allow Farm Bill negotiators to agree on a compromise package between the different House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill. I today challenged the negotiators either to agree on a new Farm Bill within the next week, or consider a longer-term extension to give our farmers the certainty they need for the upcoming growing season.
"I, like many Senators, and especially American agriculture, am growing very frustrated and very restless about the reality that we don't have a Farm Bill." |
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Dec 14 Friday |
The Senate adopted the Food Energy and Security Act of 2007, the farm bill, with an overwhelming vote of 79-14. See my press release for more information and my statement. |
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Dec 13 Thursday |
After a week of open debate on this important bill, I was pleased to vote for cloture on the farm bill and move it toward final passage.
I recognize that farmers and ranchers have been some of the most vulnerable citizens to abuses of eminent domain powers following the Supreme Court's 2005 Kelo ruling. For that reason, I led the charge, along with Senator Brownback (R-KS) and Senator Allard (R-CO) to elevate the private property rights issue – as it relates to the takings of working agricultural ground for designations as open space – on the floor of the U.S. Senate. It was my goal to raise awareness of this issue of great importance to our nation's farmers and ranchers, and establish a benchmark as to where my fellow Senators stood on a fundamental private property rights issue. In that, I am pleased to say I was successful. I was even more pleased to see more than a third of the Senate vote in favor of this amendment and send a strong message that this issue should not be taken lightly and should be further evaluated. The final vote was 37-58.
I voted against this amendment which would have made severe cuts and harmful changes to crop insurance, potentially forcing additional crop insurance companies to stop providing service to Idaho's farmers and ranchers. The vote failed 32-63.
I voted against this amendment which would have prohibited producers and packers from making sound business transactions based on the quality and consistency of producers' cattle. The vote failed 40-55.
I voted against this amendment which would have imposed tighter income limitations than the reforms the committee already included in the bill. I supported the committee-passed reforms, which preclude millionaire non-farmers from receiving payments. The vote failed 48-47.
I voted against this amendment which would have imposed tighter payment limits beyond the reforms currently included in the bill. This bill already closes loopholes by disallowing individuals from receiving payments under multiple entities; increases transparency by tying payments to growers' Social Security numbers; and eliminates the ability of millionaire non-farmers to receive payments. The vote (needing 60 to pass) failed 56-43. |
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Dec 12 Wednesday |
I voted against this amendment that would establish a pilot program for farmers to establish farm savings accounts in lieu of obtaining crop insurance or noninsured crop assistance. Though I am not opposed to the concept, I believe there needs to be further analysis regarding how this program would be incorporated into the larger risk management framework of the farm bill. The amendment failed 35-58.
I voted against the Gregg Amendment that would strike a provision in the farm bill that creates a new Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network is a competitive grant program for States and nonprofits to implement behavioral health programs targeted to farmers and ranchers. The amendment failed by a vote of 37-58.
I voted against this amendment that would strike a program designed to provide assistance to asparagus producers who experienced extraordinary market loss due to a recent trade agreement – the Andean Trade Preference Act. The amendment failed by a vote of 39-56.
I voted against this amendment that would increase funding for the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS), but at the cost of important tax incentives for utilities to bring renewable energy to rural areas. The amendment failed 19-75.
I voted against this amendment that would limit the tax credit for small wind energy property expenditures to property placed in service in connection with a farm or rural small business. As an original sponsor of legislation to establish this small wind energy tax credit, I strongly opposed this amendment. The amendment failed 14-79.
I voted for this amendment that would reform health care liability claims related to obstetrical or gynecological services in rural areas, recognizing that it seeks to address the issue of skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance premiums. The amendment failed 41-53. |
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Dec 11 Tuesday |
Today I voted against the amendment offered by my colleague Senator Lugar from Indiana. This amendment would have made significant changes to the strong, bipartisan bill that passed unanimously out of the Agriculture committee. One significant change included elimination or phase-out of the commodity programs that create a valuable safety net for Idaho farmers. The amendment failed by a vote of 37-58. |
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Dec 10 Monday |
" ...[F]armers and ranchers in particular have become vulnerable to state and local municipalities taking their property for economic development, open space designation, or other purposes." |
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Dec 07 Friday |
"Now, an old farmer told me not long ago: You know, this is nothing new for American agriculture. Before we had tractors, farmers supplied all of their fuel for their farming...[I]t was energy from our farm that fed the horse that produced the energy of the horse. We were not importers of energy to our farm. We were producers of energy." |
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Dec 06 Thursday |
After a three week-long impasse on the farm bill, a deal was reached by leadership to limit the number of amendments to 40, divided evenly among Republicans and Democrats, and move forward with debate. I am pleased that leadership was willing to open up the process and allow us to move forward appropriately on this important piece of legislation. |
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Nov 15 Thursday |
Today I voted against the motion to invoke cloture on the Farm Bill. This is a strong bill, including many important provisions for Idaho. However, it isn't perfect, as no Farm Bill ever is when it comes out of committee. It is important to have the opportunity to offer amendments and thoroughly debate this comprehensive piece of legislation. Fair and open debate has been a key part of every successful Farm Bill, and this should be no exception. I remain confident that the Senate will ultimately be able to pass a fully vetted Farm Bill for our farmers, ranchers and rural communities.
I cosponsored Senator Baucus' amendment that will help Idaho producers better access the Cuban market. Specifically, the amendment will allow sales of ag supplies to Cuba, resolve the "cash-in-advance" definition, allow direct banking for agricultural sales, authorize general travel licenses for U.S. agricultural producers, and express the Sense of Congress regarding visa approval for Cuban Ag Sales-related visits.
I cosponsored Senator Snowe's amendment to create an aquaculture-specific disease monitoring and prevention plan, modeled after a number of APHIS programs already in place to monitor animals such as livestock and poultry. This amendment will create a national framework to help address disease issues such as viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) and other diseases that threaten to devastate Idaho's aquaculture industry. |
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Nov 14 Wednesday |
I cosponsored Senator Baucus' amendment to designate brucellosis control and bighorn and domestic sheep research as high priority research initiatives.
I've said all along that the Farm Bill is not perfect. It's a good bill, but not a perfect one. There are a lot of good things in it for Idaho, but I don't necessarily agree with how Congress is trying to pay for it. This bill has some questionable tax provisions that cause me concern, and it contains several budget gimmicks that hide the real long-term cost of the bill. I think we can and should remedy those problems, so I am continuing to push the Senate to move forward with debate and try to improve this bill. It is my hope that we can ultimately pass a strong Farm Bill this year for our farmers and ranchers, our rural communities, and our nation as a whole. |
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Nov 13 Tuesday |
I believe it is necessary for Congress to discourage the illogical and unwarranted use of eminent domain to take working agricultural land only to designate it as open space or for a similar purpose. For that reason, I filed an amendment that will help deter this practice and will further protect the private property rights of our nation's farmers and ranchers.
I cosponsored Senator Cantwell's amendment to improve the Tree Assistance Program. This amendment is important to ensure that this important disaster assistance program will be accessible to Idaho's orchardists and nursery growers. |
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Nov 06 Tuesday |
"For the first time in history, this bill includes in a comprehensive fashion, policy to address issues faced by a segment of U.S. agriculture that accounts for nearly half of all crop cash receipts – the specialty crop sector."
I cosponsored an amendment regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This amendment is identical to the RFS title that I originally sponsored and was included in the Senate Energy Bill which passed in June. The amendment will require 36 billion gallons of ethanol to be used in our nation by 2022, of which 21 billion would come from advanced biofuels, like cellulosic ethanol.
I filed an amendment that will help jump-start the implementation of this important program that will help address the significant veterinary shortages in rural areas.
I cosponsored an amendment with Senator Barrasso to stabilize the National Research Program No. 7, a program carried out by land-grant universities, that conducts research on veterinary drugs for minor species and minor uses in major species. Minor species include those species that do not have commercially viable numbers in the U.S., such as sheep, goats, fish and honeybees. |
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Nov 05 Monday |
My top priorities in the Farm Bill are:
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