Bob Dole: “Farm bills are very difficult to pass. I can recall other years when we have had this same tug of war. There was a time…”

“Farm bills are very difficult to pass. I can recall other years when we have had this same tug of war. There was a time when farm bills were bipartisan. I am not certain that is the case. There is some bipartisanship now. Many years ago, we sat down in the Ag Committee, we worked out a bill, brought it to the floor, and the committee never wavered. Now most things are done on a party-line basis. But I want the record to reflect that the President vetoed a farm bill. So, for those on the other side who say 'What is going on?' they want us here next week and next week and next week, we are prepared to do anything we can. But if we cannot accomplish anything-- we had a cloture vote today. We could have been on the farm bill right now. We could have had a second cloture vote. We had a bipartisan agreement led by Senators Lugar and Leahy. We were advised that some of the Members on the other side had been peeled off and we probably could not get cloture on that vote. So, as we normally try to do, we sat down in a bipartisan way. Was there any progress made? I do not know. But I would share the views expressed by the Senator from Idaho that I think we have gone the extra mile in an effort to go to conference. The House has not passed a bill. We would like to pass a bill in the Senate. But we are not going to be torpedoed by rhetoric on the other side. And keep in mind, we could have had a farm bill. The President vetoed it.”