Kent Conrad: “The FRESH program would actually concentrate payments even more. Wouldn't that be ironic? The proponents of the bill are…”

“The FRESH program would actually concentrate payments even more. Wouldn't that be ironic? The proponents of the bill are trying to make the case that the policy contained in the committee bill violates our trade commitments. All of this talk of trade violations or potential actions against the United States on trade can be a bit confusing for Members. Let me attempt to reduce the confusion. First, the current WTO rules limit our trade-distorting domestic support to $19 billion a year. The Congressional Budget Office says payments under this farm bill will be less than that. When it comes to potential actions against the United States by countries such as Brazil and Canada, it appears they are throwing the kitchen sink at us, hoping to make something stick. It has gotten so ridiculous that Brazil even claims that excise tax exemptions on off-road fuel are a trade violation. You have to admire them for their creativity. We cannot write a farm bill based on some agreement that has yet to be written. Sometimes we do a pretty good job of predicting the future here, but I don't know how we can direct what a future trade agreement might look like. To say we are violating an agreement that has not been written, made, or passed is an empty exercise. It is our responsibility to write a policy for agriculture that is in the best interests of America, not in the best interests of those who want to be critics.”