The American people are fortunate to have the most abundant and affordable food supply in the world. This bounty is the result of the hard work and initiative of our nation’s family farmers.
Unfortunately, it occurs all too often in spite of, not because of, federal farm policies that help large agri-businesses at the expense of family farms, reward waste and inefficiency, and shortchange essential nutrition and conservation needs. As 2007 drew to a close, Congress had the opportunity to reform our nation’s farm policy during the reauthorization of the Farm Bill. As a longstanding advocate for reform, I am disappointed that this opportunity was missed.
The final version of the Senate Farm Bill contains massive, wasteful taxpayer subsidies for large agri-businesses in the Midwest and South at the expense of family farms in the Northeast. The legislation is hugely expensive, costing American taxpayers $287 billion over the next five years. While some worthwhile improvements were made to nutrition and conservation programs, the legislation does virtually nothing to reform our wasteful farm subsidy programs. Over the past ten years, federal farm subsidies have gone to just one in three farmers, with only six percent of farms, the largest agricultural producers, receiving 70 percent of the payments.
I am particularly disappointed that this bill does not include an amendment that would have prohibited payments altogether to individuals who earn more than $750,000 per year. In addition, another amendment that was defeated would have capped payments to farmers at $250,000. These amendments would have provided assistance to farmers who truly need the help, and denied assistance to giant corporate farms and wealthy individuals who unfairly receive it.
The defeat of these amendments ensures that taxpayer subsidies in this new farm bill will continue to flow to the largest and wealthiest corn, rice, and cotton farmers in the country, while potato, apple, and blueberry growers in Maine will receive very little assistance. Had the farm subsidy programs been reformed, significantly more money would have been available for nutrition, conservation, and rural economic development programs.
I cosponsored a fiscally responsible reform alternative offered by Senators Richard Lugar and Frank Lautenberg. The bipartisan Farm Ranch Equity Stewardship and Health (FRESH) Act amendment would have not only reformed farm policy, but also provided responsible budget increases to better fund nutrition, conservation, renewable energy, and rural development needs. This amendment would have provided a much more equitable farm policy. Most important, this FRESH approach would have helped to protect the family farmer through a strong safety net and bolstered rural development.
I am encouraged, however, that the reform movement is gaining momentum in the Senate. Thirty-seven Senators voted for the reform provisions this time, seven more than during the last Farm Bill reauthorization in 2002. And, a majority of Senators did vote to limit subsidies to the largest producers, although those amendments failed to receive the three-fifths super-majority that was required.
I am committed to building on this momentum until we finally create a farm policy that provides a fiscally responsible safety net for all farmers, rather than extravagant subsidies for a select few. I will continue to work for reform that will strengthen American agriculture, nutrition programs, and conservation and rural development initiatives in the best interests of American taxpayers.
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