DORGAN SAYS FINAL PASSAGE OF FARM BILL IS BIG WIN FOR FAMILY FARMERS
Thursday, May 22, 2008
CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) applauded the passage of the new farm bill Thursday, saying it is a strong bill that will strengthen the farm safety net and give an economic boost to rural America.
The President vetoed the bill Wednesday. The House voted last night to override the veto, and the Senate followed suit today with an 82-13 vote.
“For the family farmers who are hard at work across rural America today, this is a big victory,” Dorgan said. “This bill has followed a long and tortured trail but I’m proud to say it’s done and it will deliver for our rural families.
“I was disappointed that the President decided to throw one final roadblock in front of this effort to promote good farm policy. But in the end, Congress had the final say. That’s good for producers in North Dakota and across the nation.”
Among the provisions that will benefit North Dakota are those that will:
• Re-establish a permanent disaster aid program
• Increase target prices and loan rates for key North Dakota crops
• Mandate country-of-origin labeling for meat by September 30, 2008
• Ensure payments to retired and disabled farmers for CRP land are treated as rental payments, not self-employment income, by the IRS
• Invest strongly in biofuels and other renewable energy sources
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