Amendment No. 2367 will not be included in farm bill

Late Monday night an agreement was reached to move ahead on the farm bill when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced the Senate will debate on 73 proposed amendments that were acceptable to both parties. Voting begins June 20 with expected passage of the measure by the end of this week.  

Unfortunately, politics won out over common-sense, sound public policy, according to the Agricultural Retailers Association. The Hagan/Crapo Amendment (S. Amend No. 2367) did not make the list. This bi-partisan amendment had the broadest support for any of the proposed 300 amendments so it extremely disappointing that political extremism won out. This amendment would have prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a state agency from requiring a permit under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for a discharge of a pesticide authorized for sale, distribution, or use under FIFRA from a point source into navigable waters.

ARA was a strong supporter of this amendment and recently joined more than 200 other organizations representing pesticide users, stakeholders and state agencies in signing a letter in support of Amendment #2367 to the farm bill. Click here to view the letter.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today was a day "I didn't think would ever happen" when he took to the Senate floor tonight to describe a consent agreement that will advance the 2012 farm bill. "It's not a great agreement,” Reid said, "But it is a good agreement."

Once the farm bill is passed by the Senate, the bill will move to the House. ARA and coalitions will push for the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011 (HR 872) inclusion in the House farm bill proposal, which could get voted on within then House Agriculture Committee as soon as next week.

Amendments to be debated:

• Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii #2440 (highly fractionated tribal lands);
• Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii #2396 (tribal relations office);
• Max Baucus, D-Mont., #2429 (livestock);
• Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., #2364 (multi-state aquifers);
• Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, #2445 (rural development);
• Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., #2370 (pulse pilot);
• Robert Casey, D-Pa., #2238 (technical/study -federal milk marketing)
• Christopher Coons, D-Del., #2426 (poultry insurance study);
• Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., #2422 (conservation innovation grants);
• Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Feinstein #2309 (insurance recall);
• Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., #2156 (SNAP);
• Kay Hagan, D-N.C., #2366 (crop insurance plain language);
• John Kerry, D-Mass., #2187 (commercial fishermen);
• Mary Landrieu, D-La., #2321 (rural development loans);
• Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., #2345 (dietary study);
• Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., #2382 (organic crop insurance);
• Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., #2427 (acer);
• Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., #2453 (SNAP);
• Mark Udall, D-Colo., #2295 (bark beetle);
• Mark Warner, D-Va., #2457 (rural broadband);
• Ron Wyden, D-Ore., #2442 (microloans);
• Ron Wyden, D-Ore., #2388 (farm to school);
• Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., #2204 (rural development);
• Ben Nelson, D-Neb., #2242 (rural housing);
• Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., #2299 (transportation study);
• Thomas Carper, D-Del., #2287 (poultry feed research);
• Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., #2254 (biomass);
• John Thune, R-S.D., #2437 (crop insurance);
• Richard Durbin, D-Ill.-Tom Coburn, R-Okla., #2439 (crop insurance);
• Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, #2190 (milk marketing order reform);
• Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., #2192 (value added grants);
• Susan Collins, R-Maine, #2444 (dairy);
• Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, #2167 (pay cap marketing loans);
• Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., #2174 (SNAP);
• Ben Nelson, D-Neb., #2243 (SNAP);
• Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., #2172 (SNAP);
• Rand Paul, R-Ky., #2181 ($250,000 income limit);
• Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., #2191 (wind loans);
• John McCain, R-Ariz., #2199 (catfish);
• Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., #2217 (organic/AMA);
• Jim DeMint, R-S.C., #2263 (broadband funding);
• Jim DeMint, R-S.C., #2262 (SoS Free MKT);
• Jim DeMint, R-S.C., #2268 (Loan guarantees);
• Jim DeMint, R-S.C., #2276 (checkoffs);
• Jim DeMint, R-S.C., #2273 (broadband);
• Tom Coburn, R-Okla., #2289 (MAP);
• Tom Coburn, R-Okla., #2293 (Limit millionaires);
• John Kerry, D-Mass., #2454 (North Korea);
• Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., #2354 (North Korea);
• Mike Lee, R-Utah, #2313 (Forest Legacy);
• Mike Lee, R-Utah, #2314 (CSP/CRP cut);
• John Boozman, R-Ariz., #2355 (Ag research, law info);
• John Boozman, R-Ariz., #2360 (TEFAP);
• Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., #2226 (energy title);
• Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., Toomey #2433 (sugar);
• Mike Lee, R-Utah, Motion to recommit (FY 2008 levels);
• Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Motion to recommit;
• Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., #2438 (conservation crop insurance);
• Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., #2340 (sugar);
• Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., #2432 (FMPP);
• Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., #2195 (GAO crop insurance fraud report);
• Roy Blunt, R-Mo., #2246 (veterans);
• Jerry Moran, R-Kan., #2403 (food aid);
• Jerry Moran, R-Kan., #2443 (beginning farmers)
• David Vitter, R-La., #2363 (pets);
• Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., #2247 (paper work);
• Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., #2310 (genetically engineered food);
• Tom Coburn, R-Okla., #2214 (convention funding);
• Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., #2456 (aerial inspections);
• Mike Johanns, R-Neb., #2372 (aerial inspections);
• Patty Murray, D-Wash., # 2455 (sequestration);
• John McCain, R-Ariz., #2162 (Sequestration report DoD); and
• Marco Rubio, R-Fla., #2166 (RAISE Act).

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