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Sen. Richard Lugar, D-Ind., announced today that he will submit his own alternative farm bill on the floor of the full Senate.
The announcement came during Lugar's opening remarks as the Senate Agriculture Committee began its formal mark-up of the 2007 Farm Bill. Lugar, a former ag committee chairman, blasted the committee's proposed bill as a continuation of an "antiquated scheme" of crop subsidy programs.
"In my judgment, the committee could do much better on behalf of not just farmers but all taxpayers," said Lugar. "U.S. farm programs are costing taxpayers too much and hurt American agriculture in the process. Subsidy programs have spurred farm consolidation, violated international trade agreements, and still have left most farmers heavily exposed to risk."
In reference to the 2007 Farm Bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July, Lugar said that the House failed to pass a bill that reforms subsidies and "it appears that this committee will unfortunately follow suit."
Despite his unfavorable words for the committee bill, Lugar did offer his gratitude to the committee members and leadership for their hard work on the legislation.
Lugar did not offer his proposal for debate or vote in the agriculture committee, but simply announced that he wanted to make members aware of his intention to offer his own alternative farm bill when the committee-approved bill goes to the full Senate.
His proposed bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., would essentially replace traditional subsidies with a new crop insurance program.
Like Lugar, Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., made an attempt to offer a similar alternative farm bill in July during debate in the House. Kind's proposal was soundly defeated when put up for a vote in the House.
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