Sen. Stabenow optimistic that hurdles for passing farm bill can be overcome

Facing one of the toughest challenges of her career, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on Wednesday expressed optimism that she will be able to save the 2012 farm bill from defeat on the Senate floor.

“I am very confident that we will continue to move forward and get this done,” she said. “Failure to act would be a real blow to the economy.”

Stabenow, who is running for reelection, said she and committee ranking member Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) have made significant progress in whittling down the 247 amendments filed to the farm bill so that the most important can be debated.

A bipartisan agreement on how to proceed on the farm bill remains elusive. If Reid simply moves to cut off debate, the GOP might vote down the farm bill on procedural grounds even though enough Republicans support the substance of the bill to get it through the Senate.

The Senate will take two votes on amendments Wednesday morning. One, from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to end the U.S. sugar program, benefits growers but is opposed by sugar users. Another, authored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), would cut the food stamp program by turning it into a capped block grant for the states to administer.

{mosads}Technically, the votes will be on whether to table the amendments, since there is no agreement on holding actual votes for final passage on them. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (R-Nev.) tried to start up-or-down votes on Tuesday but was blocked by Paul, who wanted a vote on an amendment to end all foreign aid to Pakistan over the trial of a doctor who helped the United States find Osama bin Laden.

“We are in a spot where those who don’t support what we are doing, who want to obstruct, throw some sand in the gears. It is not surprising,” Stabenow told reporters Wednesday.

While Stabenow and Roberts pare down the list of “germane” amendments, Reid is handling the discussion of items like the Pakistan amendment with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

“Sen. McConnell has been supportive of Sen. Roberts,” Stabenow said.

She said that talks continue daily with Southern senators over a possible amendment to increase farm subsidies for rice and peanut growers. 

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) has taken a lead role in crafting a compromise on additional supports for rice and peanuts, she said, along with Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.).

“The role Sen. Conrad is playing is very welcome and constructive,” she said, adding that she has not seen any final proposal from him since official Congressional Budget Office scores are being run.

Chambliss this week filed an amendment that would introduce countercyclical payments for rice and peanuts.

Target prices for peanuts would be increased to $534 per ton, and the target price for rice would be set at $13.98 in the amendment. If prices fall below those levels, the government would provide subsidies to growers.

Some Democratic aides said that there is irony in conservative Republicans like Chambliss advocating for “Soviet-style” central planning such as target prices.