White House Cites Agriculture as Reason to Veto

June 5, 2002

The White House has told the Senate that the appropriations committee's version of emergency supplemental funding bill will invite a veto from President Bush if it is approved by Congress in its current form. The White House strongly opposes additional "emergency" funding for agriculture.

In its statement of policy on the bill, the Bush administration said the legislation does fund the defense request at Bush's preferred level for fiscal 2002, but the bill then exceeds what Bush requested for other programs by more than $4 billion "and funds numerous lower priority, non-emergency programs as 'emergency' needs."

The statement continued, "For instance, the recently enacted farm bill provides an historically high level of agriculture spending that can accommodate funding for emergencies, economic assistance, rural development, and other purposes. The administration supported the farm bill to ensure farmers have the resources they need. The farm bill breaks the bad fiscal habit of needing to pass emergency agricultural spending bills including drought assistance and other supplemental payments that make it difficult for Congress to live within its budget leading to uncertainty for farmers, ranchers and their creditors."

The statement continues by saying the administration "strongly opposes any new agriculture spending." The statement appears to be a reference to weather-related emergency aid that may be offered as an amendment by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) or other Western Senators. A similar amendment was in the Senate-passed farm bill but was dropped in conference with the House.

The statement charges that the Senate bill also provides $175 million in new, unrequested funding for the USDA for research, inspection, and monitoring activities related to bioterrorism. "Significant resources have already been provided through the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) as well as in the fiscal year 2003 President's budget request. For example, funding provided for the construction and renovation of an Ames, IA, facility is redundant because a total of $90 million has been provided for fiscal 2002 as part of the ERF and regular appropriations, so that additional funding is not needed in fiscal 2002 and 2003."