White House, Congress at stalemate over drought aid to farmers

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By The Associated Press

     WASHINGTON — Many of the nation’s farm fields have withered under drought, while others are growing close to record yields. That has lawmakers and the White House in a stalemate over billions of dollars in disaster relief.

“Our farmers deserve help now. This is something that needs to be considered before Congress leaves town,” Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., said as lawmakers rushed toward a week-ending recess for the midterm elections.

Yet the nation’s biggest crops, corn and soybeans, are on track for the second-best harvest ever, according to Agriculture Department forecasts. Prices are holding up, with soybeans at around $5.40 a bushel and corn at around $2.35 a bushel.

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Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns

Farm-state Democrats in the House began trying Tuesday to force a vote on the issue. But while giving money to farmers tends to be popular in election years, it’s not likely before Congress heads home to campaign for the Nov. 7 balloting.

Standing in the way is the Bush administration, which argues that big chunks of money would go to farmers who don’t need it.

Relief bills would provide as much as $6.5 billion to farmers. That’s on top of more than $20 billion farmers will get in regular government payments this year.

More than half the aid money would go to those who can demonstrate losses. But up to $1.8 billion would go to all farmers who get government payments, regardless of where they live or what they grow. The money is supposed to help with high fuel prices.

“You’re going to have some people that are going to have a record crop, a much better price, and they would still receive payments,” Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in an interview with The Associated Press.  

“Americans are always willing to reach out and help people who have suffered,” Johanns said. “But justifiably so, the taxpayer gets very worried about programs that aren’t targeted.”

Other parts of the proposals are drawing criticism, such as $6 million for Hawaii sugarcane growers, and $6 million for the flood-prone Devils Lake region in North Dakota.

“What’s the good of a Christmas tree if everybody doesn’t have a present under it?” said Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group, which tracks farm payments.   The group released new data Tuesday showing that thousands of farmers collect disaster aid every other year, or more often.

The Bush administration wants to wait until the corn and soybean harvests are finished in October and November to see whether more aid is needed.

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