[StBernard] Congress Overrides Bush Veto of Farm Bill; Landrieu Provisions Now Headed For Law

[Westley Annis]

Congress Overrides Bush Veto of Farm Bill; Landrieu Provisions for La.
Farmers Now Headed for Law

 

WASHINGTON - In response to President Bush's veto of the Farm Bill
yesterday, the United States Senate today voted 82-13 to override the veto.
The Senate's action followed yesterday's 312-to-108 vote in the House. The
Farm Bill reauthorizes agricultural programs through 2012 for Louisiana's
more than 20,000 farmers. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., was instrumental
in shepherding key provisions through the legislative process for farmers in
every region of the state.

"The Senate and House stood up for Louisiana's 20,000 farmers by overriding
President Bush's veto of the Farm Bill, and making the bill law despite his
objection.

"The Farm Bill maintains critical safety nets so our farmers can continue
producing domestically. For Louisiana, the bill ensures our sugar farmers
are protected from a new influx of foreign sugar and defends our vital
agricultural industries of cotton, rice and soybeans. With a stroke of the
President's pen, those nets were temporarily cut.

"But the Senate and House voted overwhelmingly to override the veto of the
bipartisan Farm Bill, giving our farmers the confidence that our government
will continue to stand up for America's farmers in the face of global
competition."  

The 2007 Farm Bill conference report helps protect domestic sugar producers
from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), implemented this year,
that leaves uncertainty in the U.S. sugar market. Sugar is one of
Louisiana's most important commodities, representing a $1.7 billion per year
industry. The bill gives the Secretary of Agriculture flexibility in setting
the quota for imports and provides additional security by increasing the
government-backed loan rate for the sugar program -- from 18 cents to 18.75
cents per pound over the next three years. Despite dramatic surges in energy
and fertilizer costs, the last time the loan rate was increased was in 1985.

The bill also preserves one of Sen. Landrieu's biggest priorities for
Louisiana's farmers: the commodity title, which provides a safety net to the
state's corn, cotton, rice and soybean farmers.

Language Sen. Landrieu included in the bill will give Louisiana sweet potato
producers the ability to qualify for crop disaster assistance. Natural
disasters, such as hurricanes, droughts or floods can wipe out an entire
year's crop, as Hurricane Katrina did in Louisiana. This language fixes a
flawed accounting method that left sweet potato producers ineligible for
disaster assistance. 

Sen. Landrieu also pushed to establish separate loan rates for long-grain
and medium/short-grain rice. The current loan rates unfairly penalize
producers of long-grain rice, much of which is farmed in the South. 

The bill also extends the Milk Income Loss Contract Program until 2012,
providing a safety net for dairy farmers when prices are low, and Louisiana
stands to receive about $2.4 million to help relieve the backlog of critical
water and wastewater projects. The bill also includes a Landrieu provision
to combat the hypoxic condition of the Gulf of Mexico, which occurs because
of nitrogen runoff from the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

Sen. Landrieu joined with other Senators in pushing for an increase in the
funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) by $1.26 billion
and authorizing $50 million for 2008 to immediately address shortages at
food pantries. It also expands the USDA Snack Program to include all 50
states. The current pilot program helps schools provide healthy snacks to
students during after-school activities, and the expansion will help promote
healthy eating among Louisiana youngsters.

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