Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Congress approved yet another one-week extension of current farm policy Thursday, giving farm bill negotiators another chance to finally resolve their differences and finish their work.The one-week extension was approved in defiance of President Bush, who has threatened to veto any further short-term extensions. Earlier in the week, Bush had asked Congress to simply extend the current farm bill for a full year or longer.
This is the fifth extension of farm law since the 2002 farm bill expired in September 2007.
The Farm Bill Conference Committee, chaired by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has so far failed to resolve disagreements over tax policies that would fund the more than $280 billion agricultural programs in the five-year bill.
Harkin took to the floor of the Senate Thursday to ask for a two-week extension of current law, but that request was withdrawn when Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, objected.
Craig complained that there is a growing sense of urgency around the country about the lack of a new farm program. “I am here to say on behalf of American agriculture, they’re sensing urgency,” said Craig. “It’s time Congress senses urgency. Six months negotiating a bill, in most people’s minds, is about long enough. So for a full two-week extension, I will object.”
Harkin responded by saying that the disagreements are being resolved and progress is being made. “We are very close to getting this agreement done,” said Harkin. “We’re working today, we worked yesterday, things are coming together. We’ve made real progress. It’s been slow, but it’s been real.” But he said it’s simply unrealistic to expect that the bill will be finished in one week. “Even if we were to finish this bill by next Wednesday, which, I think, is possible, it’s going to take another week just to do the paperwork,” he said.
Craig did not withdraw his objection, so Harkin requested the one-week extension that was eventually approved.
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