Posted on 05/14/2008 4:44:59 PM PDT by tobyhill
WASHINGTON — The House overwhelmingly approved a $300 billion farm bill on Wednesday afternoon, making it probable that the measure will become law despite President Bush’s anticipated veto.
The 318-to-106 vote, far over the two-thirds needed to override a veto, sends the bill to the Senate, where the measure is also expected to have veto-proof support. Although predictions can be dicey in political Washington, the measure’s strength in the Senate has been seen as even more robust than in the House.
The House result, with 100 Republicans joining 218 Democrats to vote for the bill, made good on the predictions of the bill’s chief shepherd, Representative Collin Peterson, a Minnesota Democrat who heads the House Agriculture Committee.
“My goal is to get over 300 votes,” Mr. Peterson told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “We have the possibility of getting that done. Three hundred votes seals the deal.” Only 15 Democrats opposed the bill, as did 91 Republicans.
Among other things, Wednesday afternoon’s vote reflected the desire of many lawmakers not to oppose a politically popular bill in an election year. The result may also be seen as another sign of President Bush’s waning influence even with fellow Republicans as his term winds down.
In Wednesday’s debate, Mr. Peterson defended the bill as good for “urban, suburban and rural areas.” He and Representative Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, the agriculture committee’s ranking Republican, noted that much of the money in the bill would go to nutrition, alternate-energy and conservation programs.
But President Bush and some conservative lawmakers have denounced the bill, complaining that it would funnel too much money to rich farmers. With the president in the Middle East, the White House communications office attacked the bill again on Wednesday, calling it “rotten” and “fit for the compost heap.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I have a feeling we won’t be seeing a lot of these GOP weasels after the next election.
Even a broke clock is correct twice a day.
Does it eliminate all ethanol subsidies?
Can you believe this crap? And the fact that some Huckabee-clone is going to get in our face claiming that free-market conservatives are the problem? People need to wake up.
Tancredo: Nay
Hunter: Nay
Paul: Nay
Keep it up, GOP. You’re signing your political death-warrant. Your sucking-up to the Media won’t get you re-elected.
Hunter voted no, as did Tanc.
Hint: PIK
God bless ‘em.
I couldn't read any further after this. The Republican Party is wandering the desert and the dems couldn't be happier. I fear November.
73% of the farm bill is for food stamps and other nutrition programs. Why do you think they can muster that many votes?
No drilling for billions of barrels of oil in the Artic, Protection for thriving Polar bears, and billions of dollars in this bill.
What a week!
McCain is going to be toast if they keep this up through November.
Polar Bears, Farm Subs....Sing it...
We're headed for Socialism doo-da doo-da...
Totally sickening...
problem is that “farmer” is a meaningless term when it comes to the billions thrown at them....”farmer” is probably a corporation full of ultra wealthy leftists who could care less about saving the family farm or putting food on the table....
pigs.
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