Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto on a bill that increases spending on certain forms of agricultural assistance, extends selected agricultural assistance programs until 2012, provides funding for the purchase of certain foods for domestic nutrition programs, lowers income tax credits for ethanol producers, and makes other agriculture-related changes.

Highlights:

• Grants $37 million in technical assistance to specialty crop producers (Sec. 3203).

• Prohibits persons with adjusted gross non-farm income of over $500,000 or adjusted gross farm income of over $750,000 from receiving certain types of subsidies (Sec. 1604). -Reauthorizes the Federal Food and Nutrition Program, the Commodity Distribution Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects through 2012 (Sec. 4406).

• Establishes a table of market assistance loan rates for 19 commodities including corn, wheat, barley, oats, and soybeans (Sec. 1202). 

• Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to spend $991 million during 2008-2012 (and $206 million each subsequent fiscal year) for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, and nuts for nutritious foods in domestic nutrition assistance programs and an additional $250 million during 2008-2012 for fruits and vegetables for schools (Sec. 4404).

• Establishes a mandatory labeling of countries of origin for goat meat, chicken, ginseng, pecans, and macadamia nuts, and changes the designation criteria for United States country of origin labeling and allows multiple countries to be listed on labels for beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and goat meat (Sec. 11002).

• Supports the price of dairy products by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to buy cheddar cheese, butter, and nonfat dry milk made from milk produced in the United States (Sec. 1501).

• Extends the Dairy Export Incentive Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program, and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program through 2012 (Secs. 1503, 1505, 1507).

• Lowers the income tax credit for ethanol producers during 2009 and 2010 for a blender amount from 51 cents to 45 cents and for a low-proof blender amount from 37.78 cents to 33.33 cents (Sec. 15331).

• Extends the alcohol fuels credit to cellulosic biofuel (Sec. 15321).

• Establishes the Biomass Research and Development Initiative to award grants and financial assistance for the research of biofuels and biobased products (Sec. 9001).

• Provides assistance for landowners who have lost non-industrial private forestland due to wildfires, hurricanes, excessive winds, drought, ice storms, blizzards, or floods (Sec. 8203).

• Increases loan rates for sugar producers (Sec. 1401).

• Offers incentive payments for the production of oil seeds that reduce the need for hydrogenated oil (Sec. 1605).

• Extends the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program through the 2012 fiscal year (Secs. 2101, 2203).

• Renames the Food Stamp Program to the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" and replaces coupons used for the Food Stamp Program with electronic benefit transfer cards (EBTs) which can be used at any retail food store (Secs. 4001 and 4115).

• Requires pilot programs to reduce obesity in the United States (Sec. 4141).

• Authorizes $25 million for each fiscal year from 2008 through 2012 for loans to broadband internet service providers in rural areas that currently have two or fewer providers in the area and have at least 25 percent of the area serviced by not more than one provider (Sec. 6110).

• Eliminates priority status for food aid for countries that demonstrate the potential to become markets for competitively priced U.S. agricultural commodities (Sec. 3005).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto on a bill that increases spending on certain forms of agricultural assistance, extends selected agricultural assistance programs until 2012, provides funding for the purchase of certain foods for domestic nutrition programs, lowers income tax credits for ethanol producers, and makes other agriculture-related changes.

Highlights:

• Grants $37 million in technical assistance to specialty crop producers (Sec. 3203).

• Prohibits persons with adjusted gross non-farm income of over $500,000 or adjusted gross farm income of over $750,000 from receiving certain types of subsidies (Sec. 1604). -Reauthorizes the Federal Food and Nutrition Program, the Commodity Distribution Program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects through 2012 (Sec. 4406).

• Establishes a table of market assistance loan rates for 19 commodities including corn, wheat, barley, oats, and soybeans (Sec. 1202). 

• Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to spend $991 million during 2008-2012 (and $206 million each subsequent fiscal year) for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, and nuts for nutritious foods in domestic nutrition assistance programs and an additional $250 million during 2008-2012 for fruits and vegetables for schools (Sec. 4404).

• Establishes a mandatory labeling of countries of origin for goat meat, chicken, ginseng, pecans, and macadamia nuts, and changes the designation criteria for United States country of origin labeling and allows multiple countries to be listed on labels for beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and goat meat (Sec. 11002).

• Supports the price of dairy products by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to buy cheddar cheese, butter, and nonfat dry milk made from milk produced in the United States (Sec. 1501).

• Extends the Dairy Export Incentive Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program, and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program through 2012 (Secs. 1503, 1505, 1507).

• Lowers the income tax credit for ethanol producers during 2009 and 2010 for a blender amount from 51 cents to 45 cents and for a low-proof blender amount from 37.78 cents to 33.33 cents (Sec. 15331).

• Extends the alcohol fuels credit to cellulosic biofuel (Sec. 15321).

• Establishes the Biomass Research and Development Initiative to award grants and financial assistance for the research of biofuels and biobased products (Sec. 9001).

• Provides assistance for landowners who have lost non-industrial private forestland due to wildfires, hurricanes, excessive winds, drought, ice storms, blizzards, or floods (Sec. 8203).

• Increases loan rates for sugar producers (Sec. 1401).

• Offers incentive payments for the production of oil seeds that reduce the need for hydrogenated oil (Sec. 1605).

• Extends the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program through the 2012 fiscal year (Secs. 2101 & 2203).

• Renames the Food Stamp Program to the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" and replaces coupons used for the Food Stamp Program with electronic benefit transfer cards (EBTs) which can be used at any retail food store (Secs. 4001 & 4115).

• Requires pilot programs to reduce obesity in the United States (Sec. 4141).

• Authorizes $25 million for each fiscal year from 2008 through 2012 for loans to broadband internet service providers in rural areas that currently have two or fewer providers in the area and have at least 25 percent of the area serviced by not more than one provider (Sec. 6110).

• Eliminates priority status for food aid for countries that demonstrate the potential to become markets for competitively priced U.S. agricultural commodities (Sec. 3005).

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by President George Bush

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text