October 2, 2000

A continuing resolution has passed both the Senate and House to keep the federal government operating into fiscal 2001 at levels equal to fiscal 2000, the year that ended Saturday. Eleven appropriations bills remain to be finalized, among them the agricultural appropriations bill, for the new fiscal year.

Partially lifting trade sanctions on Cuba and allowing Food and Drug Administration-approved prescript drugs to be reimported at less cost are the major holdups to finalizing the agricultural appropriations bill.

Otherwise, the bill reportedly is ready to be finalized by conferees, who have yet to meet officially. The Senate's version of the bill includes $450 million for 2000 weather-related crop losses for cotton, oilseeds and grains. But members have been urged to increase funding for weather-related losses with special emphasis on quality losses.

Capitol Hill sources have repeatedly said in recent weeks that the agriculture bill would be added to the conference report on transportation funding – a maneuver that might avoid a meeting of agriculture conferees altogether, but would be certain to aggravate tensions over sanctions and other issues. Senate and House Democrats have denounced the possibility of such a strategy, and last week's vote to appoint conferees appeared on its face to signal a different approach. But some sources said the transportation-bill strategy had not changed.