To Extend Agricultural Programs

Floor Speech

TO EXTEND AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS -- (Senate - March 12, 2008)

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. 2745.

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the bill by title.

The legislative clerk read as follows:

A bill (S. 2745) to extend agricultural programs beyond March 15, 2008, to suspend permanent price support authorities beyond that date, and for other purposes.

There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The bill (S. 2745) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, read the third time and passed, as follows:

S. 2745

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS.

(a) Extension.--Except as otherwise provided in this section and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authorities provided under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171; 7 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) and each amendment made by that Act (and for mandatory programs at such funding levels), as in effect on September 30, 2007, shall continue, and the Secretary of Agriculture shall carry out the authorities, until April 18, 2008.

(b) Conservation Programs.--

(1) FARMLAND PROTECTION PROGRAM.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this subsection as the ``Secretary'') shall continue the farmland protection program established under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838h et seq.) at a funding level of $97,000,000 per year.

(2) GROUND AND SURFACE WATER CONSERVATION.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall continue the ground and surface water conservation program established under section 1240I of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-9) at a funding level of $60,000,000 per year.

(3) WILDLIFE HABITAT INCENTIVES PROGRAM.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall continue the wildlife habitat incentive program established under section 1240N of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb-1) at a funding level of $85,000,000 per year.

(c) Exceptions.--This section does not apply with respect to the following provisions of law:

(1) Section 1307(a)(6) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 7957(a)(6)).

(2) Section 524(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)).

(3) Section 25 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2034).

(4) Section 601(j)(1) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(j)(1)).

(5) Section 231(b)(4) of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 1621note; Public Law 106-224).

(6) Section 9002(k)(2) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8102(k)(2)).

(7) Section 9004(d) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8104(d)).

(8) Section 9006(f) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8106(f)).

(9) Subtitles A through C of title I of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 7911 et seq.), with respect to the 2008 crops (other than the 2008 crop of a loan commodity described in paragraph (11), (12), (13), or (14) of section 1202(b) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 7932(b))).

(d) Suspension of Permanent Price Support Authorities.--The provisions of law specified in subsections (a) through (c) of section 1602 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 7992) shall be suspended through April 18, 2008.

(e) Relation to Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008.--

(1) IN GENERAL.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), this section does not apply to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (division A of Public Law 110-161; 121 Stat. 1846).

(2) REPEAL OF SUPERSEDED EXTENSION.--Section 751 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (division A of Public Law 110-161; 121 Stat. 1883) is repealed.

(f) Effective Date.--This section and the amendment made by this section shall take effect on March 15, 2008.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, there has been progress made on a farm bill. We can't leave here without doing a farm bill. I think it is something we need to do. We worked hard. We have agreed on how much money it is going to take. I had a meeting yesterday with Senator Harkin and Senator Baucus on our side. They have had good working relationships with their counterparts, Senators GRASSLEY and CHAMBLISS. They are working well with their House counterparts. We have had a little setback because Chairman Rangel has been hospitalized. We were hopeful that he would be out today. In fact, we had a meeting scheduled today. But he is not going to be back to work today. That has slowed us up a little bit. But we all look toward doing a farm bill. It is something we need to do, and we are going to work very hard on a bipartisan basis, which is the only way we can have a farm bill.

Source