 December 20, 2007 |
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| Congress Passes Spending Bill; 2002 Farm Bill Extended | |
Contact: Jess Peterson 202/870-3867 |
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| USCA (December 20, 2007) - On Wednesday afternoon, December 19, the U.S. House of Representatives completed its work for the year passing the FY2008 omnibus spending bill that funds many government operations. The measure includes an extension of the 2002 Farm Bill through March 15, 2008. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) said today that it supports the short-term extension, which will allow House-Senate conferees to spend the time needed to hammer out a final draft of the 2007 Farm Bill.
Chairmen of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees had requested the extension to allow House-Senate Farm Bill conferees ample time to reconcile farm policy differences between the two chambers. The extension alleviates concerns about the Congressional Budget Office lowering the baseline for farm spending during the conference process. Jon Wooster, USCA President, San Lucas, CA said, "Approving an extension was a prudent decision. The 2007 Farm Bill contains policy critical to U.S. agriculture producers. It is important that conferees have the time they need to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill and get it right rather than rush the process." Continuing farm programs at current spending levels until the conference process is completed is expected to have little or no effect on the overall budget. |
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