Roberts Defends Freedom to Farm

August 6, 1999

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), the "father" of the freedom to farm law now governing production agriculture, defended the law against the growing onslaught of Democrats calling for radical change. In floor debate this week, Roberts said farmers exercising their freedom to grow what they want have produced some dramatic results in cropping patterns.

Roberts has played a major behind-the-scenes role but has been relatively restrained in public comments as the freedom to farm law has come under heavy criticism from the Clinton Administration. But on Tuesday, he questioned the wisdom of any significant change.

"Most of the critics of the current act have recommended that we rewrite the farm bill and...have indicated they would like a return to set-aside programs and higher loan rates and farmer-owned reserves -- basically a return to the old farm bill." Roberts' question to that was, "How do we convince our competitors to follow suit?"

When the United States reduces acreage, "our competitors do not follow suit. World stocks are not reduced. They increase their production by more than we reduce ours." He said claims that unrestricted planting has caused prices to decline "is not true either." Wheat acreage, for example, has declined under freedom to farm by almost 14%. "The farmer made that decision, not somebody in Washington." Higher yields have produced record crops, not more acreage.

He continued, "Do the advocates of change pay for the new program...by taking away the transition payments now provided to farmers under freedom to farm? Will farmers willingly give up the transition payments, direct income assistance and go back to the days of standing in line at the Farm Service Agency, filling out the forms and the paperwork and set aside 20% or more of their acreage?"

A more rational approach to change would be to implement what was promised during the freedom to farm debate but not delivered. "I am talking about an aggressive and consistent trade policy, fast track legislation, sanctions reform with authority to use USDA export programs, a strategy for World Trade Organization negotiations that puts agriculture first, a renewed effort to complete the trade breakthrough we had with China. I am talking about tax legislation...100% self-employed health insurance deductibility, farm savings accounts."

Capital gains and estate tax reform are on his list of things that must be done along with crop insurance reform, "common sense management of the Food Quality Protection Act, and yes, I"m talking about reasonable assistance to provide income assistance due to the unprecedented record crops, European Union subsidies, world depression of the export markets."