Thursday, August 05, 2010

Feingold, Grassley propose cap on farm subsidies

A bill introduced by a bipartisan pair of senators would put a $250,000-per-farm limit on payments from federal commodity programs. Sens. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Charles Grassley of Iowa say the measure would save more than $1 billion “by closing loopholes in farm programs which allow mega-farms and non-farmers to collect huge government checks each year.”

Feingold, who is in a battle for re-election, told Brownfield Network, “For too long large agribusinesses and non-farmers have gamed the limits on farm subsidy programs, taking limited and critical resources better used to support our family farmers who are facing numerous challenges in the current economic climate.” (Read more) President Obama has proposed such a limit but it has been defeated in the House with the help of rural Democrats.

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