Payment Llimits Amendment on Budget Resolution

Statement

PAYMENT LIMITS AMENDMENT ON BUDGET RESOLUTION

During debate of the budget resolution this afternoon, Senator Chuck Grassley pulled from consideration his amendment that would have limited the amount of farm payments an individual could receive. Grassley has been the leading advocate to ensure that farm payments are directed to small and medium sized farmers to help them get through the lean years. A version of the payment limits amendment introduced on the budget resolution was included in the 2002 farm bill passed by the Senate. The provision was removed during conference negotiations despite the amendment passing the Senate and a motion to instruct conferees to include the Senate language passing the House of Representatives.

Here is Grassley's comment.

"Throughout this debate I have been hearing concerns from Senators who were considering voting against my payment limits amendment simply because it was on a non-binding budget resolution. I don't want my colleagues to have any excuses to vote against good policy, so Senator Dorgan and I asked for the amendment to be pulled from consideration. Placing a hard cap on farm payments and getting rid of the loopholes that are being used to help big farms get even bigger remains a top priority for me as we begin debate on the farm bill and I'm confident we'll have the votes to get it done."

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