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To
the NASULGC System:
- Board on Agriculture Assembly
- Budget and Advocacy Committee
- Council on Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
- Council on Governmental Affairs
The Senate has wrapped up its version of the 2007 Farm Bill
following five weeks of on-again-off-again debate. The bill was
approved by the Senate today by a recorded vote of 79 yeas to 14
nays.
As detailed
below, the leadership of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry Committee stood together to turn back a dozen or more amendments, including the amendment offered by Sen. Lamar Alexander
(R-TN) to restore $74 million in funding for the Initiative for
Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) within USDA's
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
IFAFS Funding Partially Restored
As you recall from previous communications, the Farm Bill approved
by the House of Representatives in July kept intact the $200 million
per year in mandatory (not subject to annual appropriations) IFAFS funding
that is scheduled to resume in fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012. However, the
Senate Committee on Agriculture used
these IFAFS monies to pay for other Farm Bill priorities.
The Senate defeated the $74 million Alexander IFAFS amendment
primarily due to objections to the proposed funding offset and other
factors not related to research. However, in the end, the leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee did embrace restoration of $45 million in IFAFS funds
via a provision in the "Manager's amendment."
This is an important development. Both the House and Senate are
now on record in support of a resumption in IFAFS funding and the
upcoming House-Senate conference will be focused on the precise
funding level.
Other NASULGC System Priorities
In addition to the IFAFS funding, Agriculture Committee Chairman
Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) agreed
to incorporate within their own "Manager's Amendment" two
other items
of importance to the NASULGC system:
Joint House-Senate Conference
Committee to Meet Quickly
In a meeting yesterday with Cornerstone's Fred Clark and Mark
Rokala, House
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) made clear his
intention to begin work on the Farm Bill conference as soon as the
Senate passes the bill. Peterson's goal is to complete work on the
conference report and get it to the President in late January 2008,
if possible.
In addition to the IFAFS funding level, there are many other items
of interest to the land-grant system and related institutions that
must be resolved by the conference committee, including the
important new capacity building program for the AASCARR
universities, structural concerns, and individual authorizations. NASULGC's CREATE-21 / Farm Bill Committee and the
Cornerstone Team will continue to fight vigorously for the system's
priorities and will keep you abreast of developments.
Links:
Senate Vote on Alexander Amendment
www.create-21.org/documents/PDF/Alexander_Vote.pdf
Action Alert about the IFAFS Funding Fight
www.create-21.org/alerts/12-07-2007.htm
Cornerstone's Farm Bill Report on Farm Bill as Reported to Senate
www.create-21.org/CGA_FBR/2007-10-25.htm
Additional Information about CREATE-21 and House/Senate Bills
www.create-21.org/advocacy.htm
Happy Holidays!!
The Cornerstone Team |
