In one way, it's tit for tat: Republicans have faulted USDA for not moving quickly enough this year to get disaster aid to farmers.  Now a group of Democratic senators plans a news conference today to blast Republicans for not bringing the emergency supplemental appropriations bill to the floor for final passage.  The bill includes money for farm loan guarantees and money to help USDA implement disaster relief payments.

Farm loan guarantees will get $110 million under the supplemental bill, and another $43 million goes to help implement disaster relief payments.

"With spring planting already underway throughout the country, the scarcity and uncertainty of available credit threatens many farmers' ability to continue to operate," the senators say.  The funding for loan guarantees will leverage $1.1 billion in farm loans.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) will lead the senators at the news conference in their bid to get the bill to the floor.