Bush Vetoes Farm Bill

While I was sitting here dreaming of luxurious leather office chairs, our President was vetoing a farm bill that would expand nutrition programs by $10.3 billion over the next 10 years. If there was ever a bipartisan agreement to pass one bill since Bush was elected 7 years ago, this was it.

The Senate approved the bill 81-15 on May 15, a day after it was passed by the House 318-106. The votes were well above the two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto.

Luckily, Congress is planning to override the veto.

Ignoring inflation and rising fuel prices Bush’s objections to the bill were:

the bill also distorts trade and subsidizes farmers at a time of record crop prices. He said it fails to reduce subsidies for growers of sugar, cotton and other crops or place adequate limits on payments to wealthy farmers.

The bill is highly popular because almost 75% of the monies allocated would go to needy families who are trying to buy food. The subsidies Bush so vehemently opposes would take up all of 16% of the allocated funds.

I live in a largely rural community in Appalachia (Southeastern Ohio) and many of my family members live on farms. Farms that are barely getting by. But even more so, I know many families that rely on some form of government aid to put food on the table. The unemployment rate in this area is astronomical and the majority of the population is poverty stricken. A big issue in my community is NAFTA and jobs being sent overseas. Too many factories have left this area, which means that homes are being lost and kids are going hungry¹. While the President (and John McCain) dine on gourmet food prepared by exclusive chefs (Elite?) people in my area are eating hamburger gravy over white bread.

I mention the Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain here because he opposes the bill too. I know, you’re shocked. But this man would rather the money not go to the poor families because, no doubt, they should be getting out and finding gainful employment. $7.50 an hour at Wal-Mart or McDonald’s isn’t going to cut it for a lot of these folks. They need the help and this bill can give it to them. I just cannot believe this bill gets so much support from both sides (the Democratic candidates both support it, by the way) of the aisle and he still gives comfort to his lobbyist friends.

I’ll be glad when this administration moves out. We can only go up from here.

1. This is also why Clinton and Obama pandered that nonsense here. [↩]