Farm Bill Timeline:
Senate Floor, February 2002

February 13, 2002: Farm Bill Passes!

Today, the Senate approved the Farm Bill by a vote of 58-40. Prior to final passage, the Senate voted on a number of amendments. One of the most important of these was the passage on Tuesday night of Senator Wellstone’s modified amendment to place a payment limitation and sensible restrictions on EQIP funding. This provision was not as far-reaching as the amendment that failed last week, but it does require a comprehensive nutrient management plan, limits contracts to multiple CAFO-owning agribusinesses, and prioritizes practices such as managed grazing. This measure passed by voice vote, so there is no voting record on it.

February 12, 2002

After a few days of Senate debate, family farmers and conservationists scored two big victories on Tuesday with the failure of the Crapo amendment and the passage of language to clarify the intent of the Johnson-Grassley packer ownership ban. The Crapo amendment would have removed a voluntary water conservation program that allows farmers to transfer water rights on a temporary or needs-only basis, in order to preserve stream flows for endangered fish and wildlife. A motion to kill the Crapo amendment passed 55-45.

The other victory was on secondary amending language offered by Grassley to clarify that the packer ownership ban, which passed in December, is not intended to outlaw contracts or joint ventures. A motion to kill the amendment failed, 46-53, and the amendment passed by voice vote. Passage of the clarifying amendment will make it very difficult for Senator Craig to pass his amendment, which would replace the packer ownership ban with a study of the issue.

Other amendments offered recently include Santorum’s animal care standards provision (No. 2542), Feinstein’s sugar shortfall provision (No. 2829), Baucus’ emergency assistance provision (No. 2839), and Enzi’s livestock feeding disaster provisions (No. 2843)

Senate Farm Bill: February 8, 2002

Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) introduced an amendment to reverse the Johnson-Grassley-Thomas-Daschle-Wellstone packer ownership ban adopted by the Senate, and replace it with a "study" of the issue.

Senator Crapo has also introduced an amendment that would strike Farm Bill section 215, the Resource Conservation and Development Program. We have also heard that amendments will be introduced today by Senators Conrad, Lincoln, Santorum and Feinstein, but nothing will be voted on until Monday afternoon.

Senate Farm Bill: February 7, 2002

The Senate resumed debate on the Farm Bill yesterday. Senators Harkin and Lugar presented opening statements and debate on amendments began. Senator Harkin offered his amendment to bring pork and beef contract producers under the authority of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. This amendment, which was strongly supported by family farm and sustainable agriculture advocates, won handily, 82-14. Unfortunately, we lost the vote on the Wellstone amendment, which would have placed sensible restrictions on funding for confined animal feeding operations through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. However, considering the intense pressure that the livestock industry brought to bear against the Wellstone amendment, the 44-52 vote was perhaps better than we had hoped.

Vote counts for both votes are available at:

In another victory, Senator Burns withdrew two amendments that would have placed restrictions on the administration of the Conservation Reserve Program.

The Senate resumed debate on the Farm Bill today, and almost unanimously (96-1) passed the Durbin amendment, which would limit farm subsidies on newly broken out land. The money saved by this amendment will expand nutrition assistance to legal immigrants.

The Senate today also took up the Dorgan-Grassley payment limitation amendment. The amendment faced fierce opposition from southern Senators. Despite the opposition, a motion to kill the amendment failed, 31-66, and then the amendment PASSED by voice vote.

The Senate spent much of the afternoon and evening debating Senator Lugar’s amendment that would replace the commodity title with provisions of his crop-insurance based proposal. This amendment failed, 11-85. The Senate adopted (93-0) Senator Carnahan’s proposal to permanently re-enact the family farmer bankruptcy provision.

For more details on these amendments see Senate Farm Bill on Thomas.