To help advance farm bill, stop subsidizing millionaires

In two short days, the farm bill will expire, for the fourth time, because negotiators have been unable to reach a compromise on funding the increases in its nutrition, conservation, renewable energy, research, and commodity support programs.

While the House, Senate, and Bush administration have squabbled over their pet policies, farmers across the country have had to make their planting decisions and get their fields ready for spring without the benefit of knowing exactly what the federal farm policies will look like in coming months and years. Further, food stamp recipients have seen their already small benefits erode in the face of rising food costs. Conservation programs continue to turn away farmers due to lack of funding.

Congress is overdue for a new farm bill. Thankfully, there is a way out of the budget standoff that has plagued negotiations. By making simple changes to the bill’s most outdated and least justifiable programs, the Conference Committee can free up enough money to fund all the increases in other areas for which our constituents are clamoring. By doing this the right way, this farm bill can be the great conservation bill and healthy food bill of the 21st century.

In February, we outlined 10 simple steps to making our farm programs more fiscally responsible, less market- and trade-distorting, and more reflective of our national priorities. These included:

• Lowering the income limit for receiving government handouts below the $900,000 currently under discussion.
• Adding a strict means test to the direct payment entitlements, which currently are distributed regardless of whether farmers need them or not, or even if they farm at all.
• Putting real caps on the amount of subsidies an individual farmer can receive.

While some have criticized President Bush’s tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, it seems to us that the farm bill also would be a good place to look.

It should seem obvious that millionaires in New York City and San Francisco should not be receiving farm payments meant to protect family farmers working hard to produce the food we eat, yet they continue to be paid year after year. The waste of our farm programs is exceedingly clear when compared to other federal initiatives. The economic stimulus rebates this Congress recently approved, for instance, will only go to joint filers making up to $174,000, with the full amount going only to those making about half that much. Furthermore, these payments are capped at $1,200 per couple, plus $300 per child. At the same time, however, we are sending $100,000 checks to some farmers who earn more than $2 million.

We have been encouraged by the willingness of the Conference Committee — and especially the insistence of the Administration — to consider additional commonsense reform in order to fund the American priorities of helping family farmers, conserving our natural resources, and promoting healthy diets. The conferees have already agreed to include one of our reforms by reducing some of the waste in the federal crop insurance program. By taking additional steps, we can avert the need for new taxes altogether and pass a responsible bill that can be signed into law.

Our farmers are making the tough choices and doing the hard work to keep food on our tables. We owe it to them to put aside the special interests and pass a responsible farm bill this week.

Kind and Blumenauer offered a reform amendment to the House farm bill, H.R. 2419, during floor consideration in July 2007. Both serve on the Ways and Means Committee, which has been tasked with finding offsets for farm bill spending.