Farm
Bill Timeline:
Senate Floor, December 2001
Debate on the
Farm Bill commenced in mid-December, and rural advocates won
several important victories:
Passage of the Feingold-Grassley-Harkin
Amendment prohibiting forced binding arbitration clauses in
agricultural contracts: Mandatory binding arbitration
clauses are used by companies to force farmers to give up their
rights to settle a dispute in court in the event a dispute rises
between the company and the grower. These clauses are usually
accepted under duress -- farmers have no other choice.
Prohibiting binding arbitration clauses could significantly stem
the tide of abusive contracts. This amendment passed on
Thursday, 64 to 31.
Passage of the Johnson/Wellstone/Grassley
packer ownership ban: This amendment bans packer
ownership of livestock within 14 days of slaughter. The ban
doesn't apply to packers with less than 2% of annual slaughter
of a type of livestock and it exempts farmer-owned co-ops. This
amendment passed on Thursday, 51 to 46.
Failure of the Bond environmental law waiver
amendment: This amendment would have allowed the
President waive any environmental law that affects farming. This
would permit waiver of even the most basic provisions of the
Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species
Act, the management of hazardous materials, the enforcement of
wetland protection laws, the preparation of environmental impact
statements, and the registration of pesticides. Waivers could be
obtained by any operation, including factory and corporate
farms. The Amendment was tabled on Thursday, 53 to 43.
Failure of the Cochran-Roberts Amendment: Senators
Cochran (R-MS) and Roberts (R-KS) offered their substitute
commodity and conservation title amendment on Tuesday night.
That bill would have eliminated the Conservation Security
Program, lowered WHIP and FPP and provided even more livestock
subsidy money under EQIP. The amendment failed, 55-40.
Failure of the Hutchinson-Lincoln House Farm
Bill amendment: Senators Lincoln and Hutchinson
made an attempt Wednesday to substitute the Senate’s bill with
the House Farm Bill. This attempt fortunately failed, 55-40.
However, Senate leaders were unable in December
to garner enough votes to end debate on the bill and bring it to
a final vote. After failing three times to get the 60 votes
needed to invoke cloture, the Senate set the bill aside until
after the holidays. |