Farm Bill history seems doomed to repeat itself.
As the 1985 Farm Bill headed to conference committee, the Heritage Foundation commented, "There are many important distinctions between the [House and Senate] bills, but they are alike in one key respect--they are bad news for U.S. taxpayers and consumers and poorly targeted relief for embattled farmers." A December 5, 1985 New York Times piece described how politics had led both chambers to put short-terminism ahead of reform.
23 years later, these statements ring true today. As the 2008 Farm Bill reaches conference committee this month, it remains structurally flawed and unreformed. Right-leaning groups like the Heritage Foundation and left-leaning groups like the Center for American Progress concur on the need for the common-sense reforms that have been snubbed decade after decade.
Trade-distorting subsidies in the Farm Bill were antiquated in 1985. The poverty they cause abroad is reason enough to reduce them (this week, impoverished Mexican farmers are protesting the unfair dumping of heavily-subsidized American commodities in their country). With the nation now facing possible economic recession, continued fiscal recklessness through unnecessary corporate welfare is all the more indefensible. 2008 must not be another 1985.
Because of its fiscal imprudence, President Regan signed the 1985 Farm Bill with reluctance. It quickly became clear that the bill's token reforms weren't enough. On December 12, 1986, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported, "The 1985 farm bill [Regan] signed less than a year ago has been the costliest failure in a long history of agriculture blunders."
2008 can be a departure from the "long history of agriculture blunders," however, the bills produced by the House and Senate would be an addition to it.
The conference committee will have an opportunity to reduce the unnecessary Farm Bill subsidies linked to poverty. They'll convene under threat of a presidential veto should reforms not be taken.
Oxfam America is preparing for a final fight for a meaningfully reformed 2008 Farm Bill. Thanks to people like you who have stood up for struggling farmers at home and abroad, there was real momentum in the senate for reform - one key amendment fell only four votes short. This proves that the potential for reform exists and with the stakes so high, Oxfam is asking supporters to "stay focused, energized, and ready to respond during these final stages of the Farm Bill fight." Let's keep 1985 in the history books!
More Farm Bill News:
Alan Roebke in the Hutchinson Leader (MN), Farm subsidies no longer needed
AP, Capitol Hill Fight Over Foreign Food Aid
Minnesota Public Radio, Farmers weigh conservation against making a profit
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Farm Bill: A Cry for Reform
US News and World Report, Agriculture as Economic Stimulus
