Appropriations Conference Takes Shape

September 14, 1999

The Senate has named its conferees for the agricultural appropriations conference, and the House was expected to name its slate Monday. The Senate named members of the agriculture appropriations subcommittee, plus the chairman and ranking member of the full committee, and the House was expected to do the same. On the legislative front, the House is expected to consider a major dairy bill this week.

Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee is Sen. Ted Stevens (AK), and the ranking Democrat is Sen. Robert Byrd (WV). Members of the agriculture appropriations subcommittee are, for the Republicans, Sens. Thad Cochran (MS), chairman, and Sens. Arlen Specter (PA), Christopher S. Bond (MO), Slade Gorton (WA), Mitch McConnell (KY) and Conrad Burns (MT). Fro the Democrats, members are Sens. Herb Kohl (WI), ranking, and Tom Harkin (IA), Byron Dorgan (ND) Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Richard Durbin (IL).

If the House follows the Senate's lead, appropriations committee chairman C.W. Bill Young (FL) and ranking Democrat David R. Obey (WI) would be named along with agriculture subcommittee members Reps. Joe Skeen (NM), chairman, James T. Walsh (NY), Jay Dickey (AR), Jack Kingston (GA) George Nethercutt Jr. (WA), Henry Bonilla (TX), Tom Latham (IA) and Jo Ann Emerson (MO) for the Republicans. For the Democrats, the subcommittee members are Reps. Marcy Kapture (OH), Rosa DeLauro (CT), Maurice D. Hinchey (NY), Sam Farr (CA) and Allen Boyd (FL).

Once named, the conference committee faces one of two approaches to reconciling the Senate and House appropriations bills: finish as quickly as possible, perhaps in two days, or take longer to deliberate. Both approaches are being considered. One reason is that by moving quickly, a prolonged debate can be avoided over the $7.4 billion in farm relief and its effect on the budget surplus -- a touchy issue on Capitol Hill and within the Clinton Administration. Committee staff reportedly began a series of meetings Monday to search for common ground on less contentious parts of the bill.

The House Agriculture Committee leadership was to have asked the House Rules Committee Monday to schedule a bill for floor debate that would alter USDA's final rule on milk marketing order revisions to allow for a pricing system more favorable to farmers.

In the Senate, press reports quoted Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) as planning to offer his farm relief proposal as an amendment to bankruptcy legislation today. Conrad's proposal is similar to but more expensive than the $7.4 billion assistance measure passed earlier by the Senate.

USDA included the so-called Option 1B in its final rule that was approved by dairy farmers in an August referendum. But many producers wanted Option 1A included in the final rule, because it promised more money for farmers. The legislation before the House requires USDA to use the 1A pricing mechanism.