February 18, 2008

ISSUE 1206

SENATE PRESENTING FARM BILL COUNTEROFFER TO HOUSE AG COMMITTEE

At Rap-Up deadline, Senate farm bill negotiators were expected to send their version of the new farm bill to the House Agriculture Committee by 5 p.m. Feb. 15 and work through the weekend to try to reach an agreement on a funding level for the bill by Feb. 18. The Senate proposal is said to contain only $6 billion in new spending.

Meanwhile, 90 members of the House and Senate sent a letter Feb. 14 to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin and ranking member Saxby Chambliss, as well as to House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and ranking member Bob Goodlatte, urging them to include specialty crops in the final farm bill conference agreement.