Backgrounder posted March 8, 2002 by John E. Frydenlund
Farm Policy: An Agenda for Reform
Now that the U.S. Senate has passed its version of
the farm bill, House and Senate conferees will soon begin meeting
to resolve relatively minor differences between the two versions.
Both the House and Senate bills represent a dramatic departure from
the "freedom to farm" concept that was incorporated in the 1996
farm bill,1 and both
bills signal a return to federal…
Backgrounder posted March 8, 2002 by John E. Frydenlund
The Erosion of Freedom to Farm
As the House and Senate meet in conference to
determine the final shape of the farm bill, a benchmark for
measuring the value of the proposed legislation can be found in the
farm bill of 1996. A survey of the trends in agriculture before the
passage of the 1996 legislation, the impact of the bill, and the
effects of moving away from its basic tenets reveals the…
Backgrounder posted November 26, 2001 by Brian M. Riedl, John E. Frydenlund
At the Federal Trough: Farm Subsidies for the Rich and Famous
When Congress adopted the fiscal year 2002 budget resolution on May 10, it included an additional $73 billion for agricultural spending on top of the $95 billion base approved over the next 10 years, including an historic 65 percent increase in farm subsidies. Many policymakers believed these increases would be affordable in the era of huge budget surpluses. By September,…
FYI posted April 30, 1996 by John E. Frydenlund, David H. Winston
What the New Farm Bill Will Mean to State Economies and Farmers
(Archived document, may contain errors) No. 98 April 30,1996 WHAT THE NEW FARM BILL WILL MEAN TO STATE ECONOMIES AND FARMERS By John E. Frydenlund Director, Agriculture Policy Project and David H. Winston Senior Fellow in Statistical Policy Analysis The agriculture legislation recently enacted by Congress and signed into law (P.L. 104-127) by President Clinton marks…
Executive Memorandum posted February 26, 1996 by John E. Frydenlund
How The Proposed Dairy "Reform" Will Impose Heavy Costs onAmericans
The House of Representatives is
scheduled this week to consider H.R. 2854, the Agricultural Market
Transition Act, as part of the reauthorization of the nation's farm
programs. In several respects, the legislation is similar to the
"Freedom to Farm" provisions included in the Balanced Budget Act,
in that H.R. 2854 would lead to significant and valuable reforms…
Issue Bulletin posted September 26, 1995 by John E. Frydenlund
Reform the Sugar, Peanut, and Dairy Programs
(Archived document, may contain errors) 216 September 26, 1995 REFORM THE SUGAR, PEANUT, AND DAIRY PROGRAMS INTRODUCTION Aspart of congressional budget reconciliation, the House Agriculture Committee considered the Freedom to Farm Act (H.R. 2195) on September 20. This legislation, sponsored by Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), would significantly change the…
Executive Memorandum posted June 16, 1995 by John E. Frydenlund
Why Budget Debate Must Not Sideline Agricultural Reform
Conferees are working now to resolve differences between the
House and Senate versions of the FY 1996 budget resolution
(H.Con.Res. 67). One area they need to address more boldly is
agriculture. Decisions made during the budget process about funding
for U.S. agriculture programs will have an impact far beyond budget
deficit considerations. It may be politically…