Harkin Doesn't Wait For Ag Appropriations, Offers $10 Billion

July 23,1999

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) added another $3.5 billion or so to his proffered bailout of cash strapped farmers and said he'd try to amend the commerce, state, justice appropriations bill with nearly $10 billion in farm aid. By day's end, though, it appeared he would wait for the USDA appropriations bill, which now is expected before the August recess.

Reiterating the low prices facing farmers this marketing season, Harkin says producers will need "a big infusion of money to get through the year." Disaster assistance, income support, funds for the Farm Service Agency, dairy income assistance, cotton marketing assistance and assistance to livestock and soybean producers are wrapped up in the $9.9 billion package.

His bill provides $5.6 billion in income loss payments; $400 million for dairy assistance, and $45 million for peanuts. Under disaster assistance, Harking would provide $400 million for a 30% premium discount for crop insurance; $150 million for livestock assistance; $250 million for a "flooded land program"; $200 million for a short-term land diversion program; $100 million for farm guaranteed loans through FSA for a grand total of $8.3 billion in income and disaster aid.

Other categories of aid in the measure include emergency conservation, emergency trade provisions, including $300 million for the cotton Step 2 program, emergency economic development and emergency policy reforms that include mandatory price reporting and country of origin labeling.

Harkin's amendment played a part in a day of bruised feelings and complicated parliamentary maneuvers on the Senate floor. Acrimony broke out over Republican efforts to reinstate a Senate rule that once presented obstacles to policy riders on appropriations bills.

By the time the Senate finished it's day's work, it appeared Harkin would wait for the USDA appropriations bill, and that his right to offer the amendment there would be protected. Republicans also got the right to offer further amendments to his proposal.

During the floor discussion, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) said the agriculture funding measure will come before the Senate this month, rather than in September as some observers had been predicting.

In a related development, comments by Lott and other Senators suggested that a controversial amendment to expand regional dairy compacts would be subject to the new rule against policy riders. However, proponents could still attach it or any other rider if they got a majority vote. It is expected they would actually need 60 votes because Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) and other Senators have promised to filibuster the amendment, a move that under Senate rules can only be prevented by a super-majority of 60.