NCC appreciates SAC Chairman for developing a balanced reconciliation package
20 Oct '05
4 min read
The National Cotton Council expressed appreciation to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) for his leadership in developing a balanced reconciliation package and steering it through the committee. The package passed by a vote of 11-9.
'The National Cotton Council is especially grateful to Senator Chambliss for his leadership in defeating an amendment by Senator Dayton (D-OH) that would have changed the payment limitation provisions of current farm law,' NCC Chairman Woods Eastland said. 'If adopted the amendment would have been extremely disruptive to farmers, lenders and agribusiness at a time when the industry is already coping with dramatic increases in fuel costs and many Sun Belt farmers are reeling from the damage of two devastating hurricanes.'
Eastland noted, however, that Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) put members on notice that he intends to offer a similar amendment when the legislation is considered by the Senate.
In leading the adoption of a carefully balanced package, Chairman Chambliss ensured the necessary decisions were made by the Agriculture Committee rather than the Budget Committee. Senator Chambliss told the Senate ag panel members, 'He assure you that changes made by the Budget Committee would most likely not be in the best interests of American agriculture.'
Chambliss also noted in a Senate Agriculture Committee news release that the Committee-adopted plan achieves savings from farm commodity programs, but leaves unchanged the farm program structure created in the 2002 farm bill. Savings to conservation programs is achieved without affecting landowners' or farmers' existing multiyear contracts in any program. Agricultural research programs remain intact, recognizing past funding levels.
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