Clinton May Veto House Appropriations Bill

May 26, 2000

President Clinton will be advised to veto the fiscal year 2001 agricultural appropriations bill as reported by the House Appropriations Committee. House leaders Thursday pulled from floor consideration a rule that would have governed debate on the bill after a revolt by farm-state members against the leadership’s plan to allow sanctions reform to be stricken from the measure.

The House Appropriations Committee had agreed to retain an amendment to the bill offered by Rep. George R. Nethercutt (R-WA), lifting unilateral U.S. sanctions on food and medicine to Iran, Libya, Sudan, North Korea and Cuba.

Rep. Tom DeLay, the majority whip, offered an amendment to strike the Nethercutt language from the bill, but DeLay was defeated on a vote of 24-35. Retaining the Nethercutt language, the Appropriations Committee agreed to lift unilateral U.S. sanctions on food and medicine and also to prohibit such sanctions in the future unless the President received congressional consent.

Much of the debate has focused on the inclusion of Cuba in the Nethercutt amendment. The U.S. trade embargo against Cuba was adopted in 1961 at the height of the Cold War. Today, the American Farm Bureau Federation estimates the Cuban market to be worth $1 billion for U.S. farmers. "I do not think it is philosophically consistent to oppose commercial sales of food and medicine to Cuba and yet support other more lucrative market opportunities around the world. Cuba will not be able to threaten the United States with wheat they buy from American farmers," Nethercutt said.

The Washington Wheat Commission has estimated that if the sanctions on these countries were lifted this year, U.S. farmers could export almost $500 million in additional wheat, Nethercutt said.. Overall, unilaterally sanctioned nations represent $7 billion in new agricultural market opportunities for American farmers.

Given "the severe under-funding of critical programs and highly objectionable language provisions in the bill," the Office of Management and Budget said Clinton’s senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill.

The committee’s climate change language pertaining to the Kyoto Protocol "is unacceptable and may well be unconstitutional," said OMB. The administration "will not accept any appropriations language that limits activities under current law to reduce greenhouse gasses or that restricts the president’ constitutional authority to negotiate international agreements."

Food safety was another area of OMB concern. Only $6 million of the USDA requested $28 million increase was included by the committee. "This cut would impair important activities, such as developing effective methods of handling and treating agricultural products to minimize microbial contamination and the implementation of the egg safety action plan as endorsed by the President’s Council on Food Safety."

It was unclear just when the House might consider the appropriations bill. Congress adjourned Thursday for Memorial Day, so it will be at least early June before lawmakers resolve the sanctions issue and other controversial parts of the bill. On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate also delayed any action on appropriations until after the break.