[Vision2020] Fw: CRAPO, SENATE SUPPORT FARM BILL COMPROMISE

Thu May 15 10:48:31 PDT 2008

-----Original message-----

From: "Crapo News Release (Crapo)" newsclips at crapo.senate.gov
Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 09:54:47 -0700
To: 
Subject: CRAPO, SENATE SUPPORT FARM BILL COMPROMISE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:    Susan Wheeler (202) 224-5150

May 15, 2008
Lindsay Nothern (208) 344-1108

CRAPO, SENATE SUPPORT FARM BILL COMPROMISE 

Contains Senator's ESA reform provision

Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo supported the 2008 Farm Bill
Conference Report when it was passed by the Senate today by a vote of 81
to 15.  Crapo spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the Food,
Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 as it would provide long-term
certainty to farm families, enhance food security, enable environmental
improvements, and expand energy opportunities.

"At a time when people around the world are struggling to deal with
recent natural disasters and ensure that their families have the food
they need, we need swift enactment of a Farm Bill that will provide some
long-term certainty for farm families as they continue to feed the
world's hungry," said Crapo.  

In preparation for the Farm Bill, Crapo held 23 Farm Bill listening
sessions throughout Idaho to get input from Idahoans on what is needed
in the new Farm Bill.  He utilized this input to advocate for Idaho
priorities in working with his fellow members of the Senate Agriculture
Committee and the Senate Finance Committee in crafting the legislation.
Crapo worked to obtain the inclusion of a number of provisions in the
new Farm Bill of importance to Idaho communities:

*	The tax title of the legislation includes language from the
Senator's Endangered Species Recovery Act that establishes a tax
deduction for the cost of actions to implement site-specific management
measures included in recovery plans under the Endangered Species Act.

*	Idaho specialty crop producers would benefit from the
unprecedented more than $2 billion investment in programs important to
specialty crop producers, including $466 million for Specialty Crop
Block Grants that assist with marketing, research, promotion and other
efforts to increase the competitiveness of specialty crops.

*	The legislation also contains significant assistance for
producers impacted by disaster, including new assistance for aquaculture
producers impacted by drought and assistance for ranchers utilizing
federal grazing permits who are impacted by a loss of grazing due to
fire. 

*	More than $4 billion in new spending would be provided for
conservation programs, which enable landowners to meet environmental
goals that benefit everyone.  Crapo, who serves as Ranking Member of the
Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation,
Forestry and Credit, and assisted with crafting the conservation title,
has often said that no federal policy contributes more to improve our
environment than the Farm Bill conservation programs.  

*	An estimated 95 percent of the world's consumers live beyond our
borders, and the bill would assist with reaching those consumers by
expanding foreign market opportunities through the inclusion of $200
million annually for the Market Access Program.  The bill also seeks to
better ensure adherence to softwood lumber trade commitments through the
inclusion of a softwood lumber importer declaration program.  

*	The legislation continues and expands support for Idaho
commodity producers, including barley, dairy, pulse crop, sugar, wheat,
and wool producers.  Idaho's agriculture industry is a more than $5
billion industry and an essential part of Idaho's economy.

*	Infrastructure in Rural America benefits from this legislation.
Small rural communities today face the task of complying with many
federal, state, and local environmental regulations but lack sufficient
resources to meet these standards.  Through changes to SEARCH grants in
this legislation, rural communities with populations of 2,500 or less
will have greater, more streamlined access to funding to assist with
water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

*	The Farm Bill incorporates language from the Biodiesel Education
and Expansion Act of 2007, S. 1791, which Crapo introduced with Senator
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) to reauthorize the Biodiesel Education
Program, utilized by the University of Idaho for biodiesel efforts, with
$5 million year in mandatory funding.  The bill also includes a new,
temporary cellulosic biofuels production tax credit for up to $1.01 per
gallon, available through December 31, 2012, provides $330 million for
the Bioenergy Program to provide incentives for expanding production of
advanced biofuels, and would establish a sugar-to-ethanol program.

*	The legislation would also expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
Program, which provides domestically-grown fruits and vegetables to
students as healthy snacks and educates students on the importance of
eating healthy, to every state.  Crapo worked to obtain the funding
necessary to include Idaho schools in the program and has pressed for
the continuation of the program in Idaho and expansion of the program to
additional states and schools.

When speaking on the floor, Crapo discussed some of the criticisms of
the bill stating that while some criticize the bill for expending too
much limited federal funding on agriculture, it is important to note
that the bulk of the funding in the Farm Bill goes to nutrition
programs.  In fact, more than 70 percent of the Farm Bill funding would
go toward nutrition programs, with less than 15 percent going to
commodity programs and less than 10 percent going to conservation
funding.  Also, he addressed the criticisms of the bill not being reform
minded enough and not being strict enough on payments limits, and noted
that the conference report would eliminate the Triple Entity Rule and
change the current Adjusted Gross Income limit from $2.5 million to
$500,000 nonfarm or $750,000 farm income.  These are considerable
reforms that cannot be overlooked.  

"This comprehensive legislation with fifteen titles covers a wide range
of important policy matters beyond traditional farm support," said
Crapo.  "The breadth and depth of this legislation reaches so many
people's lives that everyone in America - not just those involved in
farm country - should be glad we've been able to find this agreement
that has enabled us to get a conference report between the House and the
Senate."

Prior to the Senate's vote, the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Report was
passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday by a vote of
318 to 106.  Additionally, the House and Senate passed a temporary
extension of the current Farm Bill until Friday, May 23, 2008, to
provide time to address a possible Presidential veto of the bill.  As a
member of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, Crapo had a role
in crafting previous Farm Bills, including the 2002 and 1996 Farm Bills.

Highlights of Crapo's floor remarks on the Farm Bill Compromise are
available today:

1:45-2:00 p.m. Mountain Time / 12:45-1:00 p.m. Pacific Time

C-Band

AMC-1

Transponder 23 Horizontal

Downlink 4160

Standard Audio

To directly link to this news release, please use the following address:

http://crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=297818

# # #

FOR INTERESTED MEDIA: A radio actuality is available by calling
1-800-545-1267.  Press 327 at any time during or after the greeting and
instructions.  You can also access the actuality through the Internet at
http://src.senate.gov/radio/.

......................................................................

This is generated from an unattended mailbox. If you have constituent
comments or information you would like forwarded to Senator Crapo,
please do so at the Senator's website, http://crapo.senate.gov
<http://crapo.senate.gov/> . Comments sent to this e-mail address will
not be responded to.

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Subject: CRAPO, SENATE SUPPORT FARM BILL COMPROMISE
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