Howard Coble

Agriculture

On May 14, 2008, the House passed the conference report for “The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008” by a vote of 318-106.  The bill, while not perfect, merited my support for a variety of reasons.  That said, there are areas of the bill which are not perfect, and I am sympathetic to those who have concerns with the measure.

One item which warranted my support was a measure that would create an Economic Adjustment Assistance Program between cotton farmers and textile companies.  Specifically, the bill would provide a 4-cent subsidy to textile mills from the cotton title.  Textile companies would be required to reinvest these funds into capital improvements.  The measure would encourage usage of U.S. cotton and is mutually beneficial to cotton producers and textile mills and supported by advocates from both communities. 

The conference report includes a number of provisions aimed at those who farm.  Specifically, the bill places a hard cap on the adjusted gross income (AGI) standard to prevent wealthy farmers from being eligible for farm subsidies.  Individuals with greater than $500,000 in off-farm AGI are ineligible for certain programs under the new bill and producers with an AGI in excess of $750,000 are ineligible for direct payments.  In addition, the measure clarifies Country of Origin Labeling requirements by requiring retailers to label the country of origin of meat (such as beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and goat meat), fish, fruits, vegetables, ginseng, peanuts, pecans and macadamia nuts by September 30, 2008.  Finally, it provides mandatory funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and Organic Certification Cost-Share Program to promote specialty crops such as fruits and vegetables.  Also, it  includes the Farmers’ Market Assistance Program to promote direct producer to consumer marketing activities.

In addition, the measure includes provisions aimed at conservation, rural development, energy policy and nutrition.  Specifically, the measure doubles the Farmland Protection Program to preserve the family farm and streamlines the application process to make it easier for partners, such as states and nonprofit organizations, to participate in farmland protection projects.  Further, the bill provides $120 million in mandatory funding for pending qualified applications for water and waste disposal grants and loans and expands broadband service in rural areas.  In addition, the measure promotes the use of biomass, bioenergy, excess sugar and other crops as an alternative to corn-based ethanol.  Finally, the conference report augments and expands nutritional programs under the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Department. 

On May 21, 2008, the President vetoed the bill due to concerns regarding the cost of subsidies provided in the bill, perceived earmarks, and miscellaneous provisions attached to the measure.  The House voted to override the veto by a vote of 316 to 108 on May 21, 2008, with my support.  During debate on the veto override, it was revealed that an enrollment error occurred and a portion of the measure was not sent to the President’s desk.  As a result, the omitted title was reconsidered by the House and Senate and awaits enactment or a veto by the President.