$286 Billion Farm Bill
Written by Sam on December 14th, 2007The Senate on Friday approved a $286 billion farm bill with an election-year expansion of subsidies for growers and food stamps for the poor.The bill, passed on a 79-14 vote, expands subsidies for wheat, barley, oat, soybeans and several other crops and creates new grants for vegetable and fruit growers.It also increases loan rates for sugar producers, extends dairy programs and provides more dollars for renewable energy and conservation programs to protect environmentally sensitive farmland over the next five years.President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation, saying it costs too much and should instead be cutting subsidies at a time of record-high crop prices. He also has threatened to veto a House version passed in July.Unlike the Senate, the House did not approve the bill by a veto-proof majority, or two-thirds of the chamber. That vote was 231-191.
White House opposition and criticism from fiscal conservatives have so far had little impact on the politically popular bill.
This is one of the most unmitigated wastes in our government, paying people to grow things they’ve been growing for over a hundred years. This is a quarter of a trillion dollars. Imagine how quick the National Debt could be paid down if they took all of the farm subsidies and put it on paying the debt.
11 Republicans voted against this:
Bennett (R-UT)
Burr (R-NC)
Collins (R-ME)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lugar (R-IN)
Sununu (R-NH)
Voinovich (R-OH)
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What the (BLEEP) is Tom Coburn doing voting this garbage? I haven’t been this let down since I learned that Credence Clearwater Revival (”Born on the Bayou”, “Proud Mary”, etc.) was actually from San Francisco!
Say it ain’t so, Tom!
14
PM
I agree, i am no Coburn fan but i would have thought he would have been fighting this bill tooth and nail. Although maybe with Oklahoma being such a rural state, some of the subsidies would go there, but still no reason for Coburn to vote yes.
14
PM
Hmm… it seems that Coburn only fights pork barrel spending that doesn’t politically benefit him.
15
AM
Well, we agree on something. These agriculture giveaways are probably the single most useless, distortionary expenditure in the federal budget.
15
PM
I just read some of the Bill that passed.
It promotes production, infrastructure and research in the Agriculture field. All of which will be needed to meet demand for the present and the future.
Call it pork all you want, but infrastructure is needed to stay competitive in the Global economy.
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Voinovich! Hagel! WTF?
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And Collins! I was surprised by some of the names too including some names that should be on this list, but are not.
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This is a complete list of nays and not voting.
Strange, alot of people running for President did not Vote.
Alphabetical by Senator Name
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Biden (D-DE), Not Voting
Boxer (D-CA), Not Voting
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting
Collins (R-ME), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Not Voting
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
Nelson (D-FL), Not Voting
Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Nay
Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay
Some interesting Yea votes–Southern Senators!!
(Note the number of “Fiscal Southern Conservatives”! HAHA–Alpha.in. by state.)
Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Yea Corker (R-TN), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Yea
Those Boys can now tell their base that they got back their tax money and more!
15
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Those boys can tell their base that they just pissed away hard earned taxpayer money to buy the votes of a special interest group. Shame on all of them.
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chaotic, there is a big difference between infrastrue impovements and subsidies. I wish more liberals was pick this cause up, just allowing an end to cotton protection and subsidies would dramatically help west africa, which they claim to care about.