Washington, D.C. - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Wednesday that the Bush administration would negotiate with Congress on ways to cut agriculture spending. But he said the administration isn't giving up on its proposed cuts, which included new limits on subsidies to large farms.
"We appreciate that we touched some areas that are sensitive to some members on Capitol Hill," Johanns said.
"There are other suggestions. We're going to be anxious and willing to review those suggestions and proposals."
The Bush administration has proposed cutting farm spending by about $9 billion during the next five years to help reduce the budget deficit. The proposals, however, have run into opposition in Congress.
The House last month approved a deficit-reduction plan that would cut Agriculture Department spending by $5.3 billion, while a Senate-passed version would trim the Agriculture Department's budget by $2.8 billion.
At a Senate hearing Tuesday, Johanns was insistent that some reductions in agriculture spending would have to be made, but he said he was willing "to work with Congress to achieve the savings."
Afterward, Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas, issued statements saying the administration appeared to be backing off its proposed cuts. However, lobbyists and congressional aides were struggling Wednesday with how to interpret Johanns' remarks.
"He hasn't said anything differently than he's said all along," said Mary Kay Thatcher, a lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, the most prominent congressional proponent of tightening subsidy limits, said the idea still has strong support among lawmakers.Des Moines Register
