Subsidy cuts, biofuels funding face tough test
By Bill Lambrecht
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
Wednesday, Jul. 25 2007
WASHINGTON — A rewrite of the nation's farm bill cutting subsidies for some of
the wealthiest farmers and providing more government backing for biofuels is
headed for a critical test this week amid criticism that it falls short of its
potential.
House Agriculture Committee members said Tuesday that they had gone as far as
they could go in changing how the government supports farmers. The five-year
farm bill, which also shifts money to conservation, could go to the House floor
for debate as early as Thursday.
"Maybe what we've done here is come up with a bill that makes everybody equally
unhappy. We've gone as far as we think is sensible in moving us in a different
direction," said Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., chairman of the House
Agriculture Committee.
