CongressDaily / 01/10/00 / by Jerry Hagstrom
Calling the current farm bill, the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, "less than fair," Agriculture Secretary Glickman today told a news conference the Clinton administration will seek a countercyclical income assistance program for farmers as part of the FY2001 budget. Glickman provided no details of the program, but said it will be "philosophically along the lines" of the Supplemental Income Program proposed last year by House Agriculture ranking member Charles Stenholm, D-Texas. Asked how this program would differ from pre-1996 farm programs, Glickman said it would be based on farmers' incomes rather than commodity prices. Glickman said he "doubted" the government "would go back to the old days of micromanaging production," but declined comment on whether the plan would include setasides to reduce its cost.
Asked whether the program would replace an emergency aid package for farmers, Glickman said President Clinton's program "reflects his philosophical views of what a farm program should look like and does not predispose against another emergency package." Glickman also noted when Clinton signed the 1996 farm bill, he expressed his dissatisfaction that the "Freedom to Farm" program made payments to farmers regardless of whether they raised a crop, and offered no protection when prices fall. Glickman listed House Agriculture Chairman Combest, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., as GOP allies in the effort.
Questioned if Vice President Gore's announcement Friday of a $1.3 billion conservation program meant the administration's farm program efforts in 2000 would be coordinated with the Gore campaign, Glickman noted that even though Gore is a candidate, he is still a member of the administration and that announcements always have been carefully coordinated with the White House. But Glickman added he would carefully watch the "ethical" bounds of such relations. On another agriculture front, Glickman said the issuance of a final rule establishing federal standards for organic agricultural products would be "a priority" this year and that the mandatory livestock price reporting program passed last year should be instituted by "the middle of the summer."
In a related development, Combest Friday announced his committee will hold hearings in Washington and around the country on changes in agricultural policy. A Combest spokesman said the locations and dates of the hearings would not be determined until committee members return to Washington the week of Jan. 24. But the spokesman said there could be as many as 12 hearings "in as many regions of the country as possible," adding that the hearings would be held throughout "the first quarter" of the year. The spokesman said Combest will be looking for "very specific plans from producers about what's working and not working" on agricultural policy, on the tradeoffs of proposed changes and how to achieve consensus on new farm policy.:
