House overrides Bush veto on farm bill

[unapatriciated]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has overridden President Bush's veto of a $290 billion farm bill and senators soon may follow suit.
It was only hours before the House's 316-108 vote Wednesday that Bush had vetoed the five-year measure. He said it was too expensive and gave too much money to wealthy farmers when farm incomes are high.
The legislation includes election-year subsidies for farmers and food stamps for the poor — spending that lawmakers could promote when they are back in their districts over the Memorial Day weekend.
The Senate is expected to begin consideration of the bill Thursday. There are expected to be enough votes to reject the veto.
The veto was the 10th of Bush's presidency. Congress has overridden him once, on a water projects bill

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6fCPxbU1sKcMZ6oULqpGSe6IN9gD90Q9U080

[Kajsa]

1. Yes!

This is great news!

Now, on to the Senate!

:thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing this great news.

:D :hi:

[unapatriciated]

2. Your Welcome-they should do this more often.

[Breeze54]

3. Good they'll over ride it, I guess but farmers who earn

$250,000 + still get subsidies and that seems like a lot of earnings to me!

[Webster Green]

4. Gross or net? (n/t)

[Breeze54]

5. I'm not sure but PBS had a good interview last night ---

I think this is the same interview I watched.

Congress Passes $290B Farm Bill Despite White House Opposition

Transcript:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june08/farmbill_05-15.html

snip-->

Allocation remains big issue

JUDY WOODRUFF: So, ultimately, after all this wrangling, did price support,
subsidies, come down much below where they are right now?

CATHARINE RICHERT: Well, it depends on who you ask. Some would say that this
is a status quo bill and that there are plenty of loopholes that farmers can
get through to make sure that they're still getting a lot of subsidies.

More...

----------------------------

Exorbitant subsidies to rich taint farm bill

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=202503

Food aid and biofuels incentives are redeeming qualities

By TELEGRAPH HERALD

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin knows the new federal farm bill isn't perfect. After months of wrangling among regional interests, no compromise bill would be. But Harkin sees a lot more good in the farm bill than bad.

And there are good points. Much of the farm bill's nearly $300 billion in spending over the next five years will go to food assistance programs for the needy. But the lack of reform in subsidies to wealthy farmers is so disappointing, it outweighs the good parts of the bill.

Congress finally put a limit on the amount of income a family can receive and still be eligible for subsidies. But at $1.5 million per farm couple, the limit is so incredibly high it has virtually no impact. Sen. Chuck Grassley had been pushing for a $250,000 cap on subsidies per farm. But that never came to pass.

Instead, the bill continues the confounding practice of subsidizing wildly successful farmers. The wealthiest 1 percent of farmers get nearly 25 percent of all subsidies. Two-thirds of subsidies go to the top 10 percent of farmers.

More...

[Tashca]

6. Good

There are certain aspects of this bill I don't like.....the excessive payments to the top 10% for one thing. I've always had a problem with the unlimited payments for increased production.

I do very much like the conservation aspects of the farm bill.

and I have always favored the food stamp program. With the increases in food this is becoming.....unfortunately....a much needed program. And this administration wanted to cut this part....imagine that??

I'm sure to get the bipartisan support for a veto override...they had to keep the large payments intact. I know many Republican Congress critters could not vote for this bill if limits were incorporated.

[garybeck]

7. MAY THIS BE THE FIRST OF MANY OVERRIDES!

NT