The House and Senate are at arms this week as the deadline for a new Farm Bill quickly approaches. And in spite of the fact that the two proposed versions of the bill have a great deal in common, it is the few discrepancies (many of them deemed “unnecessary” or “wasteful” spending by their opposition) that are holding up the timely passage of a bill. (CS Monitor Article on the Current Farm Bill Debate)
If the House and Senate are unable to reach a compromise on new legislation, it would likely mean a fall back to the existing Farm Bill of 2002, which by many accounts is in dire need of an overhaul or scrapping altogether. (Article Detailing the sticking point(s) between House and Senate proposals)
I learned a great deal about the wastefulness of the current farm bill by listening to a recent Bill Moyers Journal podcast (from April 11th, 2008). A summary and additional links can be found here (PBS Page for Bill Moyers Journal, with Numerous Links).
One of the more interesting points of the coverage was the revelation that hundreds of thousands (and perhaps millions) of taxpayer dollars are being wasted in providing subsidies to landowners who are not necessarily farmers. In fact, there are apparently instances of hundreds of thousands of dollars in government subsidy money being given to upper middle class professionals who have built homes on land that was formerly farm land, but is not currently used for any such purpose. This is just one of many examples of the wastefulness and complete lack of oversight at work in the current farm bill. Hence, the call from both the public and private sectors for an overhaul.
There can be little doubt that this level of wasteful spending desperately needs to be curbed. The problem, however, is that both the House and Senate seem content to leave the commodities and subsidies section of the legislation virtually unchanged. And with the costs of produce and food production already rising at a rapid rate due to a number of factors, continuing with the present subsidy program will cost taxpayers untold amounts of money on both ends of the spectrum.
For more information on farm subsidies, visit the following links:
A brief article on the history of American Farm Subsidies – 2-Page Concise History of U.S. Farm Subsidies (PDF)
Commondreams.org piece on the negative effects of U.S. Farm Subsidies – CommonDreams.Org Essay
Washington Post article on $1.3 Billion paid to non-farmers: Farm Program Pays $1.3 Billion to People Who Don’t Farm
Bill Moyers Journal Podcast available through iTunes.
