Ag Secretary Pins Hope for Farm Bill on Senate

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture is pinning his hopes for a new version of the farm bill on the Senate.

The House version of the bill includes tax increases on foreign companies and subsidies for farmers who make a million dollar or less– two issues that Ag Secretary Mike Johanns wants removed. Those issues also caused a split among Tennessee’s congressional delegation.

The subsidy limit was originally set at 200-thousand dollars…but ended up at one-million. Johanns says no one who earns a million dollars a year needs a cash subsidy.

“I think to the average person and to the average farmer, they look at this and say this is craziness! You know there’s a lot of speculation about the politics of this and that. I do know this, we need a stronger payment limit or people are going to lose faith in these farm programs.”

The Senate is set to take up the issue when it returns from its recess next month. Johans made his comments in Nashville today.