Barack Obama

Farm relief backers ask 'fair shake'

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

By Jill Zuckman
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Durbin, Obama join call to put disaster aid back in spending bill

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats complained Tuesday that in the final haggling over the $453 billion defense spending bill, family farmers hurt by drought and floods were left to fend for themselves.

The Senate had included $1.6 billion in agriculture relief for farmers in counties that had been declared disaster-eligible because of drought, floods and hurricanes. In Illinois, for example, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns declared every county but one a disaster area.

But during a House-Senate conference over the weekend, the House refused to include the money, according to Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and other members at the meeting. Cochran said he was negotiating with House Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), and Lewis was dealing with House Republican leaders. Those leaders, according to Cochran, insisted upon limiting disaster money to victims of Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast.

Some Democrats furious

In the rush to adjourn for Christmas, the defense spending bill has emerged as one of the thorniest issues before the Senate. Some senators, particularly Democrats, have reacted furiously to the news that it includes federal authorization for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. They have complained that the measure includes a liability waiver for vaccine manufacturers during public health emergencies. And they are now upset that money for farmers was left out of the bill.

"I can't for the life of me understand how the House Republican leadership could reject an agriculture disaster assistance program when some of those House leaders are from Midwestern states and they know what's happened," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the assistant Democratic leader.

Durbin was referring to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the majority whip and acting majority leader.

But Ron Bonjean, a spokesman for Hastert, said President Bush never requested extra disaster assistance for farmers. And he said the Illinois delegation in Congress never asked for it, either. The defense spending bill, he said, was intended to include $29 billion for relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina, but not for other disasters.

"The Democrats are using this as cover for any way to vote against the defense bill because it contains [drilling in the Arctic refuge] and they shouldn't be playing politics with Illinois farmers by using Illinois farmers as political cover," Bonjean said.

A spokesman for Durbin, Joe Shoemaker, said Bonjean is wrong. Shoemaker said Johanns requested disaster assistance for farmers, as did Illinois farm groups. He said at least four members of the Illinois delegation--Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, Durbin, and GOP Reps. Ray LaHood and John Shimkus--asked for the money.

"I understand why the speaker is embarrassed by this," Shoemaker said. "It appears he said one thing to farmers and has done another thing here in Washington. The facts are just not on his side."

Drought wilted Illinois crops

In Illinois, the drought substantially reduced crop yields in 2005. Obama noted that corn production in Illinois is down 17 percent, soybean production is down 12 percent and total state crop losses are expected to reach about $850 million.

"For all the back and forth between Republicans and Democrats, traditionally, when it came to making sure that family farmers got a fair shake in this Congress, that's something that has unified the parties, but this year that doesn't seem to be the case," Obama said.

In the Senate, however, the desire to help farmers throughout the country seems to be universal. As Cochran described how House leaders insisted on dropping the agricultural assistance, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) leaned toward the chairman.

"But we're going to take another run at it," said Thune, looking ahead to the 2006 legislative session in what sounded partially like a request and partially like a statement.

The Senate is expected to conclude debate on the defense spending measure Wednesday. The legislation has a special urgency because it would provide $50 billion in emergency funding for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a 3.1 percent military pay raise beginning Jan. 1. The measure also contains $3.8 billion to prepare for an avian flu pandemic and $2 billion to help low-income people pay their heating bills.

Senators also are struggling to conclude work on reauthorizing the USA Patriot Act, in addition to a defense authorization bill, which sets policy for the military, and a package of spending cuts worth $42 billion over five years.