‘Got MILC’ Across The Finish Line
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Vermont Delegation Performs Traditional ‘Milk Toast’
As Renewal Of The MILC Program’s Charter Finally Becomes Law
Senate Joins House In Overriding
President’s Veto Of The Farm Bill
WASHINGTON (Thursday Afternoon,
May 22) – Capping months of effort by the Vermont Congressional
Delegation, the MILC Program – the basic safety net for dairy
farmers when milk prices plummet – became law Thursday afternoon
when the U.S. Senate joined the U.S. House of Representatives in
overriding President Bush’s veto of a new 5-year Farm Bill.
The Vermont Congressional
Delegation – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and
Rep. Peter Welch (D) – toasted the victory in the U.S. Capitol
with champagne glasses of milk, a tradition that has accompanied
the Delegation’s earlier victories on the MILC Program and on
its predecessor program, the Northeast Dairy Compact.
The extension and expansion of the
MILC Program, including a new “feed cost adjuster” that for the
first time will also take into account dairy farmers’ rising
production costs, was engineered in the Senate Agriculture
Committee by Leahy, and Sanders and Welch worked closely with
Leahy in building a bipartisan and multi-regional coalition of
support for the plan.
Though the MILC Program’s section
of the Farm Bill is now law, the unrelated trade policy section
may face a re-vote, after an enrolling snafu inadvertently
dropped the trade title from the version of the Farm Bill vetoed
by the President.
Leahy said, “This is a milestone
moment for several key Vermont priorities, from our dairy farms
to our community food pantries to cleaning up Lake Champlain.
The dairy safety net is secure and it’s stronger than before,
and that will help Vermont’s farmers plan for the future.”
Sanders said, “At a time when
family farmers are struggling, and the cost of grain and fuel is
soaring, this is enormously important. Not only is this a step
forward for family farmers in Vermont and around this country,
but a huge step forward for nutrition and addressing the growing
hunger problems in America. I thank Senator Leahy for his work
on the Agriculture Committee.”
Welch said, “The MILC provision
becoming law is a major win for Vermont and provides a critical
safety net for our farmers. Our delegation’s commitment and
teamwork to secure this dairy provision has paid off.”
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High resolution photo of the toast available
here.