According to the "Farm Bills" section of the National Agricultural Law Center webpage, a section containing the full text and associated resources for all Farm Bills from 1933 to present, there have been nine major pieces of Farm Bill legislation since 1965 (1965, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1996 and 2002).
In addition, the Congressional Budget Office website has provided a webpage containing Historic Budget Data, which can be found here.
According to Table 1 of this Historic Budget Data, entitled, "Revenues, Outlays, Deficits, Surpluses, and Debt Held by the Public, 1962 to 2004 (Billions of dollars)," the United States has run a budget deficit every single year from 1965 through 1997, except one, 1969.
In what appears to be an anomaly, the U.S. ran a budget surplus from 1998-2001.
Combining these two pieces of relevant, albeit simplistic pieces of information, provides some perspective with which to view budget deficits and Farm Bills.
Since the debate leading up to the authorization of a Farm Bill often occurs in the proceeding year of its passage, the following table contains the previous year's U.S. budget balance, with the corresponding Farm Bill legislation.
Farm Bill & Previous Year's Budget Balance
1965; -5.9
1970; 3.2
1973; -23.4
1977; -73.7
1981; -73.8
1985; -185.4
1990; -152.6
1996; -164.0
2002; 128.2
For every piece of major Farm Bill legislation since 1965, as defined by the National Agricultural Law Center "Farm Bills" webpage, the U.S. has had a budget surplus in the preceding year only two times, 1970 and 2002.
Obviously, the size and scope of the federal budget balance was certainly an issue with respect to specific policy proposals and levels of support.
But when discussing factors impacting the 2007 Farm Bill, from an historic perspective, it appears that comparing the budget situation to 2002, although relevant, is not a complete picture.
Since 1965, all but two pieces of Farm Bill legislation passed with various levels of budget deficits in place the previous year.
What is dramatically different about the 2007 Farm Bill is a ruling from the World Trade Organization stating that some aspects of U.S. domestic support violate international law.
Other political and economic factors appear to have various degrees of differences and similarities both now and in the past, but when it comes to budget deficits, the 2002 Farm Bill was a rare exception and should probably not be the sole basis of comparison when discussing the 2007 Farm Bill.FARMPOLICY NEWS
