to millionaires. OK senator Coburn pushed a bill through the US senate that reduces direct payment farm subsidies for millionaires. The vote was 84-15. Our senator Inhofe voted against the bill: Inhofe rightly complains about out of control federal spending; then he votes against legislation reducing farm welfare payments to millionaires-go figure.
Voting against the $1 million income qualification cap in addition to Stabenow and Roberts were:
Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont.; Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.; Thad Cochran, R-Miss.; Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; John Hoeven, R-N.D.; John Boozman, R-Ark.; Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.; Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; and Mark Pryor, D-Ark.
Direct payments, the type of subsidy targeted in Friday's vote, have long been criticized because they are paid regardless of crop prices and yields, unlike other more insurance-like programs that kick in when prices drop or crops are damaged.
As lawmakers prepare for a new five-year farm bill in 2012, leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture committees are looking at getting rid of direct payments altogether, shifting some of the aid to insurance programs that cover falling prices and revenue drops.
Republicans and Democrats on the Agriculture panels have already jointly proposed cutting $23 billion from farm programs over 10 years -- almost half of the $50 billion that direct payments cost over that period. They sent the idea to the budget-cutting supercommittee, hoping to head off even greater cuts in next year's farm bill. Some lawmakers have suggested writing the entire farm bill as part of the supercommittee process.
The ag leaders have promised more details by the end of October on how they will achieve that number, but eliminating direct payments completely is a leading scenario....
It looks like they are headed in the right direction. Reducing $23 Billion or even $50 Billion over the next 10 years won't solve the deficit and spending problems completely but it will help and should be done.
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Did you read the article. The cap was at 1.2 million and now it's at 1 million.
I'm not sure why we pay farmers a dime. Seems to me, there might be better things to do with their property than farming. Maybe cage hunts for exotic animals or something.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
I never understood subsidies since after at the latest, the 1970's, most commercial farming is done by huge corporations who need to funding, underwriting, grants or subsidy. It's about time....
Lots of it goes on here, I don't understand it. Farmers complain about how they can't make any money, but they have millions of dollars worth of equipment, drive nice trucks, have nice homes, and although many claim to be "struggling" they keep at it year after year although many have lucrative jobs along with the farm, as do their spouses.
If that's "struggling", I can't help but wonder what they would call "well off"????
At least GM got a one-time bailout.....if the crop fails, they get paid. If the crop does too well, they get paid. They get paid not to plant certain ground. If you are black and you once thought about farming, you can file a claim and get paid. The list goes on...
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The last four letters in American..........I Can
The last four letters in Republican........I Can
The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats
Senate Votes To Reduce Direct Farm Subsidies
