Agricultural and Food Policy
 Agri Outlook Radio
Number 181
Policy/Noteworthy: President Bush Vetoed Farm Bill and Congress Immediately Approved (2:45 minutes)
Audio/Video Script:
Robert Coats, Ph.D.
Extension Economist and Professor
University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture
President Bush as expected vetoed the new farm bill. Congress as expected
immediately approved the new farm bill.
The President said. “I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 6124,
the "Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008."
The President in his statement concluded by saying that in 1956 President
Eisenhower stood firmly on principle, citing high crop subsidies and too much
government control of farm programs among the reasons for his veto. President
Eisenhower wrote in his veto message, "Bad as some provisions of this bill are,
I would have signed it if in total it could be interpreted as sound and good for
farmers and the nation." For similar reasons, I am vetoing the new farm bill.
The Senate voted 80 to 14 to override the President’s veto and the House
voted 317 to 109 to override the veto.
Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said. “Today’s vote will ensure that
all parts of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act are enacted into law.” The
Chairman continued by making the points considering the serious concerns about
rising food prices and severe flooding affecting crops in the Midwest, this Farm
Bill provides a critical safety net for families and farmers.
In May, Congress approved the new farm bill and the bill was sent to the
White House. One of the new farm bill’s 15 titles, the title on trade, was
inadvertently left out of the official copy of the bill vetoed by the President.
Congress overrode the veto of the H.R. 2419 farm bill, which enacted 14 of the
bill’s 15 titles into law.
To ensure that all 15 titles were properly enacted, Congress passed a second
time the complete farm bill with a new bill number (H.R. 6124). That bill was
sent to the White House, and following President Bush’s veto, Congress on June
19, 2008 overrode the veto.
Implementation of the new farm bill has been well underway for over a month.
This has been Robert Coats Extension Economist University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
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