On the recordFebruary 18, 2011
No serious effort to reduce the Federal Government is complete without addressing agricultural subsidies. Even in time of record high farm prices and profits, we still gave $16 billion in subsidies last year. There are no meaningful limits. They are easily evaded, doubled if you are married. They don't cover loan deficiency payments or marketing loans. This amendment would establish a hard limit of $250,000 per entity. In 2009, almost 1,500 entities got $250,000 or more. Something called Fidelity National Insurance Titles, probably not a family farm, raked in more than $4 million in 2009. For the past 15 years, Riceland Foods in Arkansas has collected a half-billion dollars from the taxpayers. I strongly urge that you join with me, Taxpayers for Common Sense, the Environmental Working Group, Humane USA, a wide variety of groups and organizations, to establish this limit, save $100 million this year and more in the future, and start us on a path of reform that we can realize in the upcoming farm bill.
