Thad Cochran: “I hope Senators will be able to support the petition to invoke cloture so we can have a vote on the merits of amendments…”

“I hope Senators will be able to support the petition to invoke cloture so we can have a vote on the merits of amendments to and the farm bill itself, that will put in place a farm program for this and later years. This farm bill that is being presented to the Senate, and which we will reach if we are able to invoke cloture today, is a compromise that has been developed to resolve the current impasse between the Congress and the administration about the content of farm legislation. If we do not, laws that have been on the books since 1938--and 1949, in some cases--will govern the agriculture programs that would be in place for this crop year. These provisions are so out of date it is ludicrous. The price support for wheat farmers would go up to about $7- something a bushel.”