Associated Press | September 25, 2001 | By ROSS SNEYD, Associated Press Writer
MONTPELIER, Vt. - Vermont's leading politicians conceded Tuesday that the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact will expire at the end of the week, but they promised to try to resurrect it before the end of the year.
Sens. Patrick Leahy and James Jeffords and Rep. Bernie Sanders said their efforts to reauthorize the compact had been thwarted both by opponents and by the crush of congressional business in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania two weeks ago. "The powerful interests who oppose the compact and their legislative allies have thwarted our efforts to include the compact on an appropriate legislative vehicle," Leahy, Jeffords and Sanders said in a joint statement. "The developments of the last two weeks have further altered the legislative landscape as we work to meet the pressing needs of our nation."
The compact guarantees New England dairy farmers a minimum price for the milk they produce, evening out the sometimes wild fluctuations in farm incomes.
"The compact has pumped over $140 million into the New England economy, kept family farms and other small operations in business throughout the region, and despite dire predictions had a minimal impact on consumers," Gov. Howard Dean said.
Farmers are not expected to be affected by the developments in the near future. Fluid milk prices typically are relatively high at this time of the year and the market price is higher than the minimum established by the compact.
Prices generally dip in the winter, though, and the congressional delegation says it will try in the intervening weeks to find some method of resurrecting the compact, perhaps on a major farm bill that is due for reauthorization.
"In the weeks ahead we will be working tirelessly to resurrect the compact, a program that has helped preserve an industry and a way of life for so many New Englanders," the trio said.
Vermont Agriculture Commissioner Leon Graves said he believed there was a reasonable chance the compact could pass again.
"We recognize there are still legislative vehicles available for compact language to survive," he said. "We are fully supportive of that effort."
Dean continues to head the Governors Council for Interstate Compacts, which has been lobbying Congress to renew the compact. He said he would continue that campaign. There are now 25 states seeking similar dairy compacts for their regions.
"I join our congressional delegation and other governors in urging Congress to preserve this tool to save our farms," Dean said.Associated Press:
