Psycho4Bud
07-27-2007, 03:52 PM
WASHINGTON - Democrats said Thursday they have the votes to pass a broad, five-year farm bill this week, despite the party's internal divisions and Republican outrage over tax increases to pay for it.
Support for the bill, which extends agriculture and nutrition programs, unraveled Wednesday as the White House threatened a veto, saying the legislation doesn't do enough to cut farm subsidies. At the same time, farm-state Republicans who previously supported the bill have said they will oppose it because of a last-minute proposal to tax certain foreign-owned companies with U.S. subsidiaries. Those taxes would partially pay for $4 billion in food stamps and other nutrition programs.
Facing defeat from a loss of GOP support, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Thursday that he had been up most of the night working with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to gain votes from Democrats who have opposed certain parts of the legislation. Peterson and Pelosi agreed to shift money to international nutrition programs, for example, to gain support from Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass.
"My sense is there's not going to be many Democrats who vote against this," Peterson said. "We got the votes."
Republicans, though, have said they view the tax proposal by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, as a betrayal of the previously bipartisan effort to pass the bill.
With the business community lobbying vigorously against the measure, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wrote Congress Thursday saying the plan would cost U.S. jobs by disrupting foreign investment and ruining relations with trade partners.
House Democrats: Farm Bill to Pass - Forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/26/ap3956146.html)
Looks like more time wasted on something awaiting an eventual veto. Good job!
Have a good one!:s4:
Support for the bill, which extends agriculture and nutrition programs, unraveled Wednesday as the White House threatened a veto, saying the legislation doesn't do enough to cut farm subsidies. At the same time, farm-state Republicans who previously supported the bill have said they will oppose it because of a last-minute proposal to tax certain foreign-owned companies with U.S. subsidiaries. Those taxes would partially pay for $4 billion in food stamps and other nutrition programs.
Facing defeat from a loss of GOP support, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Thursday that he had been up most of the night working with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to gain votes from Democrats who have opposed certain parts of the legislation. Peterson and Pelosi agreed to shift money to international nutrition programs, for example, to gain support from Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass.
"My sense is there's not going to be many Democrats who vote against this," Peterson said. "We got the votes."
Republicans, though, have said they view the tax proposal by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, as a betrayal of the previously bipartisan effort to pass the bill.
With the business community lobbying vigorously against the measure, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wrote Congress Thursday saying the plan would cost U.S. jobs by disrupting foreign investment and ruining relations with trade partners.
House Democrats: Farm Bill to Pass - Forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/26/ap3956146.html)
Looks like more time wasted on something awaiting an eventual veto. Good job!
Have a good one!:s4: