Business

The Super Committee and the ‘Secret Farm Bill’

The House and Senate Agriculture committees is trying to incorporate its new five-year farm bill into the super committee process.

The current farm bill expires in 2012 and rather than make it a talking point of an election year, the Senate Agriculture committee has allegedly opted to work behind closed doors with the super committee.

“We call it the secret farm bill,” said one environmental activist, in a recent Hill report. Opponents of the lawmaker’s efforts are worried that if the Senate Agriculture committees succeeds, it will prop up U.S. farm payments through 2017.

Environmental groups and what The Hill refers to as “poverty advocates” say the super committee should “dismiss the recommendations from the farm-state lawmakers.”

Opponents believe the lawmaker’s recommendations will try to replace of some existing farm payments with a new “crop insurance program and new payments that would be linked to commodity prices,” writes the Hill.

Although some of the proposals might save billions, opponents of the lawmaker’s initiatives believe the new farm payments could spiral out of control in cost if commodity prices tank.

Furthermore, critics of the farm bill say the legislation is “a symbol of waste that costs taxpayers money while hurting farmers in poor countries who do not receive similar levels of support.”

“They are completely trying to write a whole new farm subsidy program,” a second activist said. “They are making an end-run around people who question these programs.”

“That is the last thing we want, to authorize multi-year programs through this process. I am worried,” Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said. “Their mission is to cut.”

Ben Becker, a spokesman for the Senate Agriculture Committee, defended the effort to propose farm bill changes to the super committee.

“Either the super committee would in essence write the Farm Bill, with no hearings or public input, or the Agriculture Committees and the communities we represent would have a voice. Democrats and Republicans are working hard within the process that’s been imposed on us to develop a sound bipartisan and bicameral recommendation that members of both parties can support,” he said.

But it would seem what most people are unhappy with is the non-transparency that comes with working through the super committee.

“All big legislation is written behind closed doors, but they are doing this is in such a compressed way,“ one longtime agricultural lobbyist said. “I am having trouble finding out what’s going on.”

Read the full Hill report here.

Comments (50)

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  • schroeder123
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:14am

    Grow what the hell you want and makes you money. Tell the Government to take a hike !
    Enough big brother tamering with farmers. Oh yea….and stop paying for a farmer to NOT produce !

    Report Post » schroeder123  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 11:36am

      I agree with you. But these “subsidies” for typically go to the very richest “farmers”. If you had a list of the names of the “farmers” being the prime motivation for ‘rewriting’ the “Bill” you‘d find a SLEW of politicians and ’celebrity’ names and or connections.

      Subsidies are boomerang funds. Most stays at the targeted organization, but a lot of it finds its way back to the coffers of the party/candidate.

      Who are the “big” contributors to obamas campaign? and who were the recipients of the “bailout”, “stimulus”, “employment”, QE1, QE2 and now QE3? with QE4 in the mix? You might find some clues to “how” washington works, if you did your research here.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • ItsMsBtch2U
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 4:49pm

      The farmer’s need to tell the government to F-OFF!! And who the hell cares about other farmers in other countries that don”t get as much as our farmers?…Really?! Sick and tired of political correctness!! This country has the capability to grow (in abundance), any thing we need!!

      Excellent video to watch to see just how much government control there is…”Food, Inc”

      Report Post »  
  • boca_chica
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:12am

    CRP was the government’s way to prevent some land from overuse-it worked a little bit, but the mega-land-owners were getting lots of money from the program.
    I prefere what they used to doin the 50‘s and 60’s-buy up excess foods and store it (cold war thinking) and dole it out as needed during hard times in the country ( government rice and cheese…etc where given out if you were poor enough-tasted good too).
    Solar at your house is a good thing-giving money to business is a bad thing-give the citizen-user the tax break and the manufacturing will follow ( NASA’s inventions for the space race returned $7 for every $1 spent in research to the general economy). You want better solar, wind, renewables?..do what we have always done-spend on R&D at companies and universities.
    Cheap energy is what made the country prosperous-go with that.

    Report Post »  
    • Mil Mom
      Posted on November 18, 2011 at 8:29pm

      Hey! Doesn’t everybody get it yet? It’s just by total control & regulation of farming and food production, (Think the new farm regs coming from the new rural czar.) that the regime can initiate russian style POGOMS and starve millions to reduce the population like Agend 21 requires! Be Veeeeewwwwwwyyyyy Afwaid of the precedent of writing farm bills in secret!

      Report Post » Mil Mom  
  • MidWestMom
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 9:12am

    ‘ Although some of the proposals might save billions, opponents of the lawmaker’s initiatives believe the new farm payments could spiral out of control in cost if commodity prices tank.’

    The super group has a deadline to cut spending. That deadline is biting at their heels. So, is this one of the governments infamous “numbers game”. On paper it saves billions….in reality, not so much.

    Report Post »  
  • kunman
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 9:11am

    Farm Subsidizes = Government control

    Report Post »  
  • kunman
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:49am

    I don‘t believe it was the founding father’s intent to have a federal government that subsidizes anything. So let cut them. All of them.

    Report Post »  
  • chasbronson
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:48am

    Mike Huckabee said it.”its not what is illegal in Washington that bothers me most .Its what is “legal”. Our Nations wealth is being legislated to the Elites who have figured out how to be legal theives.

    Report Post »  
  • machgun
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:37am

    @wethepeoplepress
    the problem with your arguement is simple. The technology is not there for renewable energy to be efficient. It dose not matter how much the President declares let there be alternative energy(in a thunderous voice). When the plant for the largest producer of solar panels is no longer powered by a coal power plant the talk to me about subsidizing that bottomless pit

    Report Post »  
  • copper creek
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:32am

    I can’t help but think somewhere in the bill is an agenda 21 mandate. I don’t think it has anything to do with subsidies,it is all about control.

    Report Post »  
  • wethepeoplepress
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:18am

    That is the problem with so called conservative republicans. Its ok to subsidize Farms, Big Oil but Americans cry about wanting to advance/subsidize solar technology so we can become energy independent. Instead they give the node on fracking which will prove to be the biggest quality of life and property devaluer in American history.

    Sure, cut down old growth forest on park land to sell to the highest bidder (china) so we can avoid forest fires, get the hell out of here with the lies and ignorance. 25% of your energy bill is used to heat water in your home, imagine if we subsidized a solar water heater instead of the stimulus crap we have done, instead of giving to the banks or obamas buddies. But the fact is Republicans are ignorant when it comes to renewable energy, environment. Look what the fisheries have done to our oceans depleted by 90% of resources in last 15 years. We allow anyone in our waters. I say dont allow china cargo ships to our ports until the prices are fixed and cut off all commercial fisheries and allow stocks to rebuild, pay the fisherman to sit at the dock, that is printed money worth spending.

    Report Post » wethepeoplepress  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:31am

      And we are in such great shape with the Progressive DEMOCRATS (oxymoron) , pushing the Socialist agenda. You forgot to mention Nancy P’s, points. Republicans want dirty Air, Dirty Water, to Starve Children, to kill seniors…………………
      You Progressive DEMOCRAT pukes steal hard working citizens earnings , then yell that it’s not enough.

      Squash Barry 2012

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • big-jeff
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:39am

      So how do you count all the fishies in the deep blus seas?

      Report Post » big-jeff  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:40am

      I think the point here is that it isn’t (probably never was) about conservative or liberal or right/left. It is about the size and role of government and the liberties that we have as a result. Liberals and Conservatives are guilty of the same crimes. They’d subsidize A and cut B or legalize C and ban D. The other party would do the opposite.

      It doesn’t matter what A,B,C,D is. The discussion should be if it is the role of government to subsidize to begin with or to ban things to begin with. THIS is the debate that we should be having. This is the debate that NEVER happens because we start with banning smoking or save the planet debates that go nowhere. We’ve forgotten what a free society looks like and both sides accept a Leviathan in conflict with freedom so long as it serves their ends.

      Both sides are lost.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • Locked
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:58am

      “Liberals and Conservatives are guilty of the same crimes. They’d subsidize A and cut B or legalize C and ban D. The other party would do the opposite.”

      You’re mistaking liberals and conservatives with Democrats and Republicans. The majority of both parties are fine with subsidies; they only vary on what businesses get them. This is a fiscally liberal position no matter what subsidy you support. Fiscal conservatives are against all subsidies: if a business can’t survive without hand-outs or governmental support, then that means the cost is paid by the tax-payers. We have no say in it, and that’s not right in my book.

      The only acceptable intervention would be a loan, if it’s guaranteed that it can be repaid (ie, through the property and assets of the company if it goes under).

      Report Post »  
    • SgtB
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 9:21am

      You are a moron. I’d no longer consider myself a “conservative republican”, but I am a registered republican and I oppose any gov’t welfare spending. That include farm subsidies. I also oppose any regulation of our agriculture by the gov’t. Anyone with half a brain and the knowledge of the Supreme Court cases of Wickard v. Filburn or any one of the many court cases involving Monsanto should agree that the gov’t should stay the hell out of business.

      As for your assumption that we have fished the sea dry…

      Simply not true. What has happened though is that we have built ships with the ability to take every single fish from a school of 100,000 with a single net and turn them into filet o‘ fish for mickey d’s in under 12 hours. These “fisherman” should just start covering their own arses and stop taking all the fish that live in the areas where they fish so that there will be more fish there after the spawn. There are still plenty of fish in the world. They are just in different places than we originally fished from.

      Also, on the “renewable” energy front the Democrats of California have proven that they aren’t willing to follow through. There is a large solar stirling power plant that is supposed to go in in the deserts east of SanDiego. This plant would require <1% of the water required by any other power generation plant as the water is only used to clean mirrors and the efficiency of the stirling is up to 60%. But it might affect tortoises so they don'

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • tajloc
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 10:23am

      Are you not paying attention. All of the Tea folks are against all of the subsidies and regulations in general. We have opened the door to this stuff and history shows it is usually bad. eg should we go to the moon??? We get so much spinoff from that trip. eg should we build railroads across the US. What did that really do. Ask an Indian.
      By the way lots of people have solar water heaters made from recycled hot water tanks. Passive solar works great and is cheap. The rest won’t be purchased till it is cost efficient. Fortunatenly ALL the gop candidates are framing their answers in a libertarian fashion. It remains to be seen how it will go….Rom 8:28

      Report Post »  
  • Atokaite
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 7:53am

    Re the Secret Farm Bill.
    1. Each year, the Farm Support Bill(s) work their way thru various committees. This idea that there is a Secret Bill is hogwash.
    As one who follows these obscure legislative efforts, let me assure you, there is always, always, a process. Albeit it is labyrinth in its passage, this one piece of legislation is the most worked over, minutely discussed, openly fought over and ultimately discussed ad nauseum on the floor of any bill.
    2. Farm supports, these are the pillars that make milk less than 4 $ per gallon, rice less than pennies a pound, chocolate, sugar, flour, the basics for the US electorate to consume, all available, all cheaper than any market in the globe. Monies well spent.
    end
    Semper FI

    Report Post » Atokaite  
    • andrewksu
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:31am

      That thinking is exactly why our government is spinning out of control and in essence is no different than the OWS clown show that wants college subsidized and $18/hr minimum wages. I have a hunch that you would not support those concepts, so why in the world would you support welfare for farmers. In the end it damages farmers in a similar way to how the housing market was manipulated and eventually crashed home prices. Farmers, and the rest of us would be better off if the government stayed out of the market.

      You gloat over the idea of prices of food commodities being held low, while forgetting that you are being taxed to make this scheme work. Are you not a tax payer? Robbing Peter to pay Paul.

      Conservatives, libertarians, and other mature adults ought to seriously think about how every hand out, subsidy or other government interference effects their life and truly weigh the benefit of the government being your master.

      Report Post »  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 8:42am

      Are those prices good or could a free market do better? Kleptocracy is Kleptocracy no matter who benefits.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • SgtB
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 9:35am

      I assume from your greeting “Semper Fi”, that you are a Marine. I am also a Marine, but it appears that I am the only one of us that has read the Constitution that we BOTH swore to protect. It is theft of the people‘s money and usurping of our rights for gov’t to supply welfare to any industry, state, or person. The Constitution states that the federal gov’t will PROVIDE for the common defence(sic) and promote the general welfare. The words promote and provide are seperate words and they are not synonyms.

      The farm subsidies are a symptom of market control, and as you pointed out, they are what make our food prices what they are. Unfortunately, what they do to our food prices is increase them. The real price of our food can be seen not at the grocery store but at the federal debt clock and every April 15. We pay for all of those subsidies with increase tax rates and that doesn’t even cover the cost. For the remainder we take on debt that will have to be paid off sometime by someone. If we leave that repayment to the future generation then we are committing generational theft at the least and slavery of our own children. This is what has already happened to our generation by the previous.

      Also, those farm subsidies have impacts outside of our own borders. We have been sendig taxpayer bought grain overseas for decades and everywhere we send our “free” food it decimates the local market and then the area falls under the control of the warlord controling the food s

      Report Post » SgtB  
  • LIBS-ARE-DINGLEHEADS
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 7:30am

    Lol! Super committee………….Please.

    If you mean…Super pooper committee…..Yer gittin close….

    If you mean….Dingleheaded old age committee……Warmer…

    If you mean……Rigged, lobbied, and bought off committee……Warmer still

    if you mean…..A dismal failure, and not what we elected these clowns to do…………….Ding!

    Report Post » LIBS-ARE-DINGLEHEADS  
  • Lost In Space
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 6:56am

    Untill the fed gets its shat together everything is on the chopping block.The sad thing is that the american farmer is one of the last things we can hold are heads high about. We produce so little in this country anymore. In a world of 7 billion people dont you think food production might be in our best intrest to protect.If barry etays to form his next move will be to turn the privatelly owned family farms into communes.

    Report Post »  
  • Bill Rowland
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 6:45am

    The Super Commitee was designed to fail. Look at who the democrats appointed, some of their mosr liberal members and the republicans some of their most conservative. The commitee will fail and each side will blame the other.
    Politics as usual. Remember if his lips move he is lying.

    OMG

    Report Post »  
  • Hoosier
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 6:22am

    What’s the difference between a farm subsidy and welfare?

    Report Post » Hoosier  
    • SgtB
      Posted on November 16, 2011 at 9:44am

      One only hurts America (welfare), the other hurts everyone(farm subsidy).

      It can be traced out that our gov’t buys the surplus every year to keep the prices higher, not lower like everyone thinks. They keep the prices higher. That leads to large stores of food that was bought and paid for by the taxpayer but that will never hit the US market. The stores have often been used to provide “food aid” to Africa and other places, like Haiti. But no one ever thinks what free food does to a poor African economy. If people get food for free, who would go buy the local farmers food? They don’t. This causes the local farms, or food markets to collapse and they simply go away. Once this happens, the people become dependant on food aid and whosoever controls the food controls the people. This is how we ended up creating many warlords in Africa and causing thousands upon thousands of deaths. Just like welfare destroys people here, it destroys people elsewhere as well. So I’d have to say that farm subsidies are far worse because not only is it theft from the taxpayer, but it also hurts our foreign relations by causing near genocide in numerous cases.

      Report Post » SgtB  
  • louise
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 5:31am

    But it would seem what most people are unhappy with is the non-transparency that comes with working through the super committee……..

    Well gee willikers…….when an unconstitutional second congress has been formed which operates secretly, what do you expect?

    Ron Paul 2012

    Report Post » louise  
  • SHOWMESTATEGUY
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 3:47am

    Dem libs and rino’s have pretty much ruined this country. We will not have a change in direction until it all comes tumbling down and we are forced to.

    There is no leadership in this country and we don’t have enough good people left to change things before it all tumbles down. That good old unionized public non-education is having the impact the elites want.

    The elites motto is “keep them dumb and voting for me”.

    Report Post »  
  • piper60
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 2:06am

    Hmmmmmmm. 5 year farm bill. I’m old enough to remember the 5 year plans for farming that they used to have over in the USSR. Hopefully this one will be more successful.

    Report Post » piper60  
  • Fantastic Four
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 2:05am

    this was a comment on the article: Loved it and for all you techies that know how to make something like this fly in the www. get on it so we can fire all those bums that don’t have the peoles interest at heart, because a rich guy gets only 1 vote but his money makes you believ otherwise

    We can start our own pledge. a la Groover Norquiest and His Protection Society for the Uber Rich..

    A PLEDGE…I WILL VOTE AGAINST ANY SENATOR..ANY MEMBER OF THE HOUSE WHO CURRENTLY HOLDS OFFICE.

    O/K. SOMEONE..GET IT STARTED. THE MEDIA IS PICKING OUR CANDIDATES…THE BIG MONEY GUYS ARE FUNDING ONLY THE ONES THEY LIKE.

    GET IT TOGETHER. WE CAN HAVE ALL NEW MEMBERS. FRESH START. CAN THEY BE ANY WORSE THAN WHAT WE HAVE IN OFFICE NOW? CONSIDER…LINDSEY GRAHAM. JOHN MCCAIN. JOHN KERRY. TOM HARDIN. SHEILA JACKSON LEE. NANCY PELOSI. HARRY REID. RICHARD LUGAR.ERIC CANTOR. PAUL RYAN. LOUIS GUITTEREZZ…BENNIE THOMPSON. SYLVESTER REYES. AL GREEN. LUNGREN. YOU ADD SOME MORE…BY PAT on 11/15/2011 at 08:59

    Report Post » Fantastic Four  
  • platitude
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 1:49am

    it is important to point out that michell bachman has recieved hundreds of thousands of dollars in farm subsidies. Very consistent with the sentiment that the government should stay out of the free market. At least be consistent people!

    Report Post » platitude  
  • MastrSSG
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 1:26am

    Kill them all and let God sort them out!

    Report Post » MastrSSG  
  • songczar
    Posted on November 16, 2011 at 12:53am

    I hate Al-Queda, yet they’ve done fare less harm to the future! Americans need to be talking about punishment of corrupt politicians and lobbyist. There’s only one deterrent to political greed and the squandering of a nation,The rope!

    Report Post »  
  • lylejk
    Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:22pm

    Idiocy in the making. They just want more money to pay out to Pigford Farm Reparations no doubt. I say I have no beef with the country not making a deal. Let them all cut. It will be the only way they will if they have to. ‘Nough said. :)

    Report Post » lylejk  
  • stotlaat
    Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:21pm

    Anticipating political transparency is no different than expecting honest advance disclosure from a con man. This would change if the character lineup in government leadership were primarily honorable

    Report Post »  
  • warbird
    Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:18pm

    The stupor commitee is hard at work once again to screw the American tax payer. Too bad Farting Barney Frank’s not on the commitee. He would give them a piece of his mind. PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHT!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh what a stinker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Report Post » warbird  
  • buster2
    Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:17pm

    Well there is that transparency again, no back door deals for this administration. They have cleaned the swamp, don’t entertain and get bought off by lobbyist. So cutting spending means adding five years of agri spending, what else will be in the spending cuts – Michelle to go on a world wide extravaganza trip with 100′s of her closest friends. Disgusting.

    Report Post »  
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