Agricultural News
Senate Rejects Strict Means Test for Farmers Participating in Farm Programs as Work on Amendments Moves from Tuesday Into Wednesday
Wed, 20 Jun 2012 06:01:31 CDT
With a vote of 75 to 24 - the Senate has approved a farm bill amendment that sets a hard cap of 75-thousand dollars on marketing loan gains. The amendment was introduced by Iowa's Chuck Grassley - a long-time advocate of limits on farm program payments. Grassley says the reform will help to bring more defensibility for the farm program.
Of the amendments that went to a roll call vote Tuesday - the Senate rejected amendments to limit categorical eligibility for the supplemental nutrition assistance program to those who receive cash assistance, to end the state bonus payments for administering SNAP and to improve the program of value-added agricultural producer grants. But amendments to require Federal milk marketing order reform, to require more frequent dairy reporting, to strengthen rural communities and foster the next generation of farmers and ranchers and to encourage the purchase of pulse crop products for school meals programs were approved.
Votes continued through the evening. Amendments to establish an average adjusted gross income limitation of 250-thousand dollars for all payments and benefits under the farm bill, to provide that any entity receiving a business and industry direct or guaranteed loan for a wind energy project is ineligible for any other Federal benefit, assistance, or incentive for the project, to eliminate the organic certification cost share assistance program and to strike a reduction in SNAP and increase funding for the fresh fruit and vegetable program with an offset limiting crop insurance reimbursements to providers were each rejected. Senators agreed to an amendment to require a study into the feasibility of an insurance product that covers food safety recalls.
The Senate rounded out Tuesday's farm bill voting by rejecting three amendments offered by South Carolina's Jim DeMint. One to prohibit mandatory or compulsory checkoff programs was opposed by the American Soybean Association. The other two were to prohibit the Secretary from making loan guarantees and to maintain funding at current levels for programs providing access to broadband telecommunications services in rural areas. Today's beef Buzz is about the debate over the Checkoff programs- click here to listen to DeMint and Chairlady Stabenow debate the merits of DeMint's proposal.
The work continues on Wednesday, starting at 11:15 AM Eastern time. Could the 2012 Senate Ag Committee Farm Bill be voted on by late Wednesday on the Floor of the US Senate? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that is his intention, although it appears it will be a very long day- likely stretching into the wee hours of Thursday morning, if that is the case.
Here's the work done to date on the amendments offered to be considered as a part of the floor debate on the 2012 Farm Bill- S3240.
Reid 2nd degree amendment #2393 to amendment #2392 (the text of the Shaheen amendment #2160 sugar); tabled: 50-46
Reid amendment #2392 (the text of the Paul amendment #2182 SNAP); tabled: 65-33
Stabenow-Roberts amendment #2389 (managers' amendment); agreed to UC
Reid 2nd degree amendment #2390 to amendment #2389 (date change); withdrawn
Reid motion to recommit the bill with amendment #2391; withdrawn
Reid amendment # 2406 which is the text of Coburn amendment #2353 (to eliminate certain working lands conservation programs); withdrawn
Reid amendment 2407 which is the text of DeMint amendment #2285 (convert all mandatory spending to discretionary spending); withdrawn
Akaka #2440 (tribal lands); agreed to voice vote
Akaka #2396 (tribal relations office); agreed to voice vote
Ayotte #2192 (value added grant); not agreed to: 38-61
Baucus #2429 (livestock); agreed to voice vote
Snowe #2190, as modified (study re: milk marketing order reform); agreed to: 66-33
Grassley #2167 (marketing loan); agreed to: 75-24
Brown (OH) #2445 (rural development); agreed to: 55-44
Sessions #2174 (SNAP); Not agreed to: 43-56
Cantwell #2370 (pulse crops); agreed to: 58-41
Nelson NE #2243 (SNAP); agreed to voice vote
Sessions #2172 (SNAP); not agreed to: 41-58
Casey #2238 (milk marketing study); Agreed to: 73-26
Paul #2181 ($250,000 income limit); Not Agreed to: 15-84
Coons #2426 (poultry insurance study); Agreed to by voice vote
Feinstein #2422 (conservation innovation grants); Agreed to by voice vote
Alexander #2191 (wind loans); not agreed to: 33-66
McCain-Kerry #2199 (catfish); agreed to voice vote
Feinstein #2309 (insurance recall); agreed to: 76-23
Toomey #2217 (organic/AMA); not agreed to: 42-57
Gillibrand #2156, as modified (SNAP); not agreed to: 33-66
DeMint #2263 (broadband funding); not agreed to: 45-54
Hagan #2366 (crop insurance); agreed to voice vote
DeMint #2262 (SoS free market); agreed to voice vote
Kerry #2187 (commercial fisherman); agreed to voice vote
DeMint #2268 (loan guarantees); not agreed to: 14-84
Landrieu #2321 (rural development loans); agreed to voice vote
DeMint #2276 (checkoffs); not agreed to: 20-79
Looking ahead to Wedensday, here is the order of the amendments that will be considered by the Senate, according to the Senate Democrats website based on comments from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada:
- Manchin #2345 (dietary study) (possible voice vote);
- DeMint #2273 (broadband);
- Merkley #2382 (organic crop insurance);
- Coburn #2289 (MAP);
- Schumer #2427 (acer);
- Coburn #2293 (Limit Millionaires);
- Stabenow #2453 (NAP);
- Kerry #2454 (North Korea);
- Kyl #2354 (North Korea);
- Udall(CO) #2295 (bark beetle);
- Lee #2313 (Forest Legacy);
- Warner #2457 (rural broadband);
- Lee #2314 (CSP/CRP cut);
- Wyden #2442 (microloans);
- Boozman #2355 (Ag research, law info) (possible voice vote);
- Wyden #2388 (farm to school);
- Boozman #2360 (TEFAP)
- Leahy #2204 (rural development);
- Toomey #2226 (energy title);
- Nelson(NE) #2242 (rural housing) (possible voice vote);
- Toomey #2433 (sugar);
- Klobuchar #2299 (transportation study) (possible voice vote);
- Lee Motion to Recommit (FY 2008 levels);
- Carper #2287 (poultry feed research) (possible voice vote);
- Johnson(WI) Motion to Recommit (Nutrition/Agriculture titles);
- Sanders #2254 (biomass);
- Chambliss #2438 (conservation crop insurance);
- Thune #2437 (crop insurance);
- Durbin-Coburn #2439 (crop insurance);
- Chambliss #2340 (sugar);
- Chambliss #2432 (FMPP);
- Ayotte #2195 (GAO crop insurance fraud report) (possible voice vote);
Blunt #2246 (veterans) (possible voice vote);
- Moran #2403 (food aid);
Moran #2443 (beginning farmers) (possible voice vote);
- Vitter #2363 (pets) (possible voice vote);
Toomey #2247 (paperwork) (60-vote threshold);
- Sanders #2310 (genetically engineered food) (60-vote threshold);
- Coburn #2214 (convention funding) (60-vote threshold);
- Boxer #2456 (aerial inspections) (60-vote threshold);
- Johanns #2372 (aerial inspections) (60-vote threshold);
- Murray # 2455(sequestration) (60-vote threshold);
- McCain #2162 (Sequestration report DoD) (60-vote threshold);
- Rubio #2166 (RAISE Act) (60-vote threshold);
- Bennet-Crapo amendment #2202 (improve agricultural land easements) (expect voice vote); and
- Passage of S.3240, as amended.
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