American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Says "Stalling Tactics" Are Jeopardizing the Farm Bill.

December 17, 2001

AFBF President Bob Stallman reacted strongly to the failure of the Senate to move forward on the farm bill, saying the "stalling tactics used by some Senators...have jeopardized needed assistance for farmers. If the result is that we don't get a final bill until next year and the $73.5 billion allocated to agriculture in the budget is cut, we'll know who to blame."

AFBF is urging all Farm Bureau members to contact their Senators to make sure they let them know that "it will be a slap in the farmer's faces" if the procedural delays result in a trimmed-back farm bill. President Stallman also stated "we need the bill finished in the Senate immediately and we need a conference committee to approve a final bill before Christmas recess. Otherwise the funding everyone in agriculture worked so hard all year to maintain will be put at risk. That means farmers will find it difficult to get loans to plant next year. It will create great uncertainty throughout the industry."

Stallman pointed out that "it is clear that opponents of the farm bill are stalling and using procedural delays. The House, made up of 435 members, completed its farm bill in three days and considered 45 amendments. In contrast, the Senate had debated the farm bill for all or part of nine days, without an end in sight. With cloture, there would have been ample time for opponents to offer their amendments."

With another cloture vote scheduled for tomorrow (i.e., Tuesday), Stallman said there still is an opportunity to get the farm bill on track. He urged that the next "cloture motion must pass. Any Senator who votes against cloture will be telling farmers they don't care if farmers suffer the consequences of no farm bill or one that is scaled back."

The House passed the farm bill in October.