Another Round of Agriculture Committee Hearings

February 22, 2001

The House and Senate Agriculture Committees have scheduled another round of farm bill hearings. The Senate Agriculture Committee will conduct a full committee hearing to review matters related to the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) on Feb. 26, at 9:30 a.m. E.S.T., in 328A Russell. The House Agriculture Committee will review the federal farm commodity programs with the American Farm Bureau Federation on Feb. 28, at 10:00 a.m., in 1300 Longworth.

The House Agriculture Committee hearing on Feb. 28 – like all of its farm bill hearings – will be broadcast as it occurs through the audio connection with the committee's web site at: www.house.gov/agriculture

The Feb. 26 Senate Agriculture Committee hearing will focus on the FCA's proposed regulation on national charters. Traditionally, institution in the Farm Credit System have limited their lending activities to certain geographic regions. Under the proposed change, individual farm credit lending institutions would be able to lend to farmers and other agribusinesses nationally.

On Feb. 28, the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing to review the statutes of the conservation programs in the current farm bill. The committee also will conduct a business meeting to consider the committee funding resolution. Because the Senate is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, both parties agreed to equality of funding for committee staff.

On March 1, the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold another hearing to continue the review of the conservation programs in the current farm bill.