Growing Bad Policy

By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl The Senate is currently considering legislation to renew federal farm policies, programs, and benefits provided to our nations agricultural community. This measure, known as the farm bill, governs a wide variety of federal programs including crop support for farmers of certain commodities, land conservation, food stamps, international food assistance, crop insurance, and forestry programs. Congress first approved federal farm assistance policies in the early 1930s with the goal of helping struggling farmers during times of economic hardship due to low commodity prices. Over the last six decades, however, the farm bill has swelled significantly, and now provides extensive subsidies to farmers and agricultural landowners who may not be in true financial need. For example, according to numerous reports published earlier this year, several well-known wealthy individuals have received federal farm assistance. In 2001, former NBA basketball player Scottie Pippen received more than $25,000 in farm subsidies. Ted Turner, the billionaire businessman received more than $12,000. Even more egregious, a recent Government Accountability Office report found that between 1999 and 2005, the government paid 69,120 individuals who had been dead at least three years, and 32,832 who had been dead seven years or more. The bill also includes typical big-government wasteful spending. For example, the bill establishes educational cheese centers, and it also directs $1 million in mandatory spending for a National Sheep and Goat Industry Improvement Center. All together it creates more than 75 new federal programs without eliminating unnecessary or duplicative spending elsewhere. The bill also creates a new $5 billion emergency fund, which really amounts to a slush fund. Although the agricultural community is prone to many emergencies as a result of natural disasters and unexpected weather conditions, Congress has provided emergency assistance. If theres a hurricane or a drought, the federal government assesses the damage and Congress will pay emergency costs. Since the bill guarantees $5 billion for the next five years, my guess is the money will get spent whether there is a declared emergency or not. As Senator Judd Gregg recently said on the Senate floor, if a large wind comes up and blows a mailbox over in North Dakota, it's going to be declared an emergency because somebodys going to want to get their hands on that billion dollars. Obviously, this bill lacks the fiscal discipline required of Congress during a time of deficit spending and exponential growth in the federal government. It spends $603 billion over the next ten years. The bill also includes a number of tax increases, the largest of which would raise $10 billion. Yet, the Treasury and Justice Departments say the change in tax law is unnecessary, and would actually not raise the revenue projected. There are clearly deficiencies with this bill, and thats why over 200 amendments have been filed to change it. But the procedure for considering the bill, as structured by the Democrat leadership, leaves no room for senators to offer amendments of their choosing. Every farm bill in the past has been substantially modified. By shutting off the amendment process this time, the Democrat leadership has signaled it has no desire to reform the bill. Eventually, the restriction will have to be lifted so the bill can be amended and passed. In the meantime, the bloated farm bill is just another example of a broken and mismanaged Congress.