President Obama Signed Farm Bill

“We opposed the final Farm Bill that came out of the Conference Committee,” said Traci Bruckner, Senior Policy Associate with the Center for Rural Affairs. “But the President signed the bill, which means he is accepting the responsibility of making the Farm Bill work, improving upon it, and closing the farm payment limitation loopholes that Congress punted to the Administration.”

According to Bruckner, the conference report stripped out bipartisan reforms, which passed both House and Senate, and would have tightened the definition of being “actively engaged” in farming – a loophole that mega-farms use to gain additional payments by defining passive investors as qualified farmers, even though those investors provide no real labor or management on the farm. Moreover, this Farm Bill actually increases farm payment limits from $50,000 to $125,000 for the primary commodity program.

“President Obama now has the opportunity to deliver on the promise he made to rural and small town Americans while campaigning for President in Iowa in 2007,” added Bruckner.

In the President’s speech before signing the bill, he noted that there are big producers who are doing well, but many small farmers scratching out a living. He also added that it is hard for young people to get started in farming. But failing to clean up this farm program loophole mess will only make matters worse, Bruckner explained.

“If, however, the President is serious about reforming farm programs, living up to the promise he made to close the “actively engaged” loopholes is the best and most crucial place to start,” Bruckner concluded. “Congress put the ball in his court, we urge him to pick it up and take his best shot.”