By a 58 to 37 vote, the FRESH Amendment to the 2007 Farm Bill was voted down today on the Senate floor. Both Senators Klobuchar and Coleman voted with the majority. Since the FRESH Amendment would have most substantively reform the Farm Bill, the vote is a disappointment everyone hoping for the fairest possible Farm Bill.
Fortunately, at least one full day of farm bill debate lies ahead and opportunities for meaningful reform still exist. The Grassley-Dorgan Amendment is receiving bipartisan support, including that of Senator Klobuchar, and will probably be voted on tomorrow.
Senator Klobuchar has also proposed a very welcomed amendment that would reduce subsidies linked to poverty by excluding farms with annual profits over $750,000 from subsidy eligibility. It's a common sense way of ensuring taxpayer-dollars are not being handed to the rich so they can impoverish the poor. You can read the Klobuchar Amendment's introduction on this page of the congressional record.
Senator Coleman has not yet expressed supported for the Grassley-Dorgan or Klobuchar amendments. Please call his office today at 202-224-5641 and ask him to support both of these important amendments.
More Farm Bill news:
Indianapolis Star, Lugar's farm subsidies plan fails in Senate
Orlando Sentinel, Government shouldn't be giving money to farmers who don't need it
U.S. News & World Report, Farm Bill Reform Fails
