Agriculture
On June 18, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6124, the 2007 Farm Bill. While I support many of the programs contained in the Farm Bill, I could not vote in favor of this legislation. Unfortunately, the bill did not provide meaningful reform to the commodity payment system. Instead, I supported the bipartisan Kind-Flake Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment. This amendment adopted USDA’s proposals to make the marketing loan program more efficient and market-oriented and included no tax increases. This amendment would have also shifted savings into deficit reduction and provided more funding for conservation and nutrition programs. Finally, the amendment would have addressed trade-distorting subsidies. Unfortunately, this reform-minded provision failed by a vote of 117-309 on July 26, 2007. The bill was passed over the President’s veto on June 18, 2008.

For more information, please see my Agriculture Issue Paper.

Related materials

Issue Paper: Agriculture

News Releases by Topic: Agriculture

Statements and Speeches by Topic: Agriculture

CRS Reports: Farm Bill Legislative Action in the 110th Congress What Is the “Farm Bill”?

Other Resources: 2008 Annual Report to Taxpayers U.S. Department of Agriculture The House Committee on Agriculture