Twenty senators won’t support extension of direct payments
October 02, 2013 | 03:59 PM
Twenty senators led by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., wrote Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., last week that they will not support a farm bill extension that includes the direct payments that crop farmers have been getting since 1996 whether prices are high or low.
The Hagstrom Report obtained a copy of the letter. (See link below)
“With the fate of the farm bill still uncertain, we urge that any farm bill extension brought to the floor ensure the full and immediate elimination of direct payments,” the senators wrote in the September 27 letter.
They also noted that the direct payments program was established in the 1996 farm bill as a temporary measure, but has been extended several times even though it is subject to criticism.
Direct payments expired with the 2008 farm bill, but was extended for 2013 under the New Year’s Eve fiscal cliff deal reached by McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden that also extended food stamps without cuts and provided for dairy farmers for one year.
Both the House-passed and Senate-passed farm bills terminate the direct payments program.
“Without regard to whether we supported the Senate farm bill or opposed it, we all agree that Congress should not consider another extension of the 2008 farm bill that continues direct payments,” wrote the senators.
“Such an outcome would represent a costly regression in light of the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan efforts to eliminate this multibillion dollar subsidy,” the letter said. “Recognizing those important gains, we support leaving direct payments to expire as scheduled. To that end, we again urge that any farm bill extension brought to the floor ensure the full and immediate elimination of direct payments.”
The anti-direct payments group ranges from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
The Hagstrom Report obtained a copy of the letter. (See link below)
“With the fate of the farm bill still uncertain, we urge that any farm bill extension brought to the floor ensure the full and immediate elimination of direct payments,” the senators wrote in the September 27 letter.
They also noted that the direct payments program was established in the 1996 farm bill as a temporary measure, but has been extended several times even though it is subject to criticism.
Direct payments expired with the 2008 farm bill, but was extended for 2013 under the New Year’s Eve fiscal cliff deal reached by McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden that also extended food stamps without cuts and provided for dairy farmers for one year.
Both the House-passed and Senate-passed farm bills terminate the direct payments program.
“Without regard to whether we supported the Senate farm bill or opposed it, we all agree that Congress should not consider another extension of the 2008 farm bill that continues direct payments,” wrote the senators.
“Such an outcome would represent a costly regression in light of the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan efforts to eliminate this multibillion dollar subsidy,” the letter said. “Recognizing those important gains, we support leaving direct payments to expire as scheduled. To that end, we again urge that any farm bill extension brought to the floor ensure the full and immediate elimination of direct payments.”
The anti-direct payments group ranges from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
