03/15/05 Senate deal on ag spending

03/15/05 Senate deal on ag spending

Farm and Ranch March 15, 2005 Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss says the Senate Budget Committee has agreed to limit federal ag spending cuts and avoid dramatic changes to the 2002 Farm Bill. Chambliss: "We have given them some examples of where we think savings can be achieved. Once we did that we came up with a number we think we can save without changing the policy of the Farm Bill. And that is extremely important to me and all farmers and ranchers." Chambliss says ag spending would be cut by 2.8 billion dollars instead of the Presidents proposed 5.7 billion and the Ag Committee will decide where the cuts will come from. Chambliss: "The one thing we wanted to make sure of in addition to not changing policy, is that everybody who receives payments under the Farm Bill will share proportionately in the pain but not disproportionately. In other words if we look at the Commodity Title peanuts and cotton, which are very important to my farmers obviously, should pay the same rate as corn, wheat, soybeans or whoever. And that will be our approach as we get into the process of finding the specific savings." Chambliss wants the spending cuts made from all titles of the Farm Bill not just commodity programs. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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