Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), the Chairman of the General Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee, reacted to the Bush Administration’s Farm Bill proposal on Wednesday with caution and expressed hope that the Congress and Administration could work together to develop a sound agriculture policy.
“The Administration has proposed some interesting ideas to alter our current farm policy. However, the devil is always in the details. The burden of proof is on Administration officials to show that the new policies they have proposed will be more effective than our current safety net, which is well-liked by farmers. I plan to examine these proposals carefully to determine their effects on North Carolina and American agriculture,” said Etheridge.
The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, or Farm Bill, expires this year and Congress must reauthorize the expiring provisions. The Farm Bill is an omnibus package of laws covering agricultural policy that are designed to support agricultural productivity and competitiveness in global markets.
The Administration’s proposal reduces overall farm payments by $18 billion over the next five years. The major changes include a switch from a price-based commodity program to a revenue-based one, a shift in funding from loan programs to direct payments, and eliminating the ban on growing specialty crops on land where subsidized crops are grown.