Senate Gives Final Nod to Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Senate gave final approval to a farm bill that will shower billions of dollars in new subsidies on political battleground states and scrap a 1996 law that was intended to make growers less dependent on the government.
President Bush has promised to sign the bill, which is expected to swell agriculture spending by nearly 80% over the cost of existing programs. The Democrat-controlled Senate approved the legislation, 64 to 35, over the objections of Republicans who said it was too expensive and a step backward in policy.
The bill guarantees a more stable income by raising subsidies for grain and cotton growers, by reviving subsidies for wool and honey, and by providing new payments for milk, peanuts, lentils and dry peas.
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