For farmers, the arguing in Congress over a new five-year farm bill probably seems more endless than the Minnesota winter, but the issues being debated are important ones to the state and nation, according to Rep. Tim Walz and Sen. Norm Coleman.
Finding a compromise between the House bill, passed in July of 2007, and the Senate version, passed in December, has proven elusive. The Senate Thursday followed the House in passing another extension of the 2002 farm bill to allow for one more week of negotiations.
Administration officials have warned that President Bush may not sign the extension, which would allow the law to expire April 25.
Walz and Coleman, even while saying the differences being debated are far from trivial, understand the frustration farmers are feeling.
“Planting season’s here and our producers need some stability,” said Walz, a Mankato Democrat who serves on the House Agriculture Committee. “... The conventional wisdom here is we should have one by next week.”
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