As federal lawmakers work to slash spending, rural America will probably take too big of a hit, according to Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D.
The budget reconciliation process was the topic of her Thursday conference call.
Herseth said she will be voting against what's expected to be $4.25 billion in cuts to farm programs suggested by the House Agriculture Committee.
While rural concerns will have to take a hit to help keep costs down, the $4.25 billion total is too much, she said. That amount is up from the previously suggested $3 billion in cuts. Farm, conservation, nutrition and food stamp programs will all be impacted, Herseth said. Specifics, however, have yet to be outlined.
Food stamps are often thought to be a program used by urban residents. But, Herseth said, they are more often beneficial to rural working families.
Spending on ag programs amounts to less than 1 percent of the federal budget. But those programs are being asked to swallow 9 percent of budget cuts.
A hearing on the spending cuts is set for this morning.
With the nation running up a debt, recovering from a series of hurricanes and fighting a war, lawmakers are looking for ways to save money. Hence, the budget reconciliation effort.
Considering that the 2002 farm bill has resulted in less spending than planned, the large additional cuts proposed for such programs is aggravating, Herseth said. When it was authored, the farm bill called for $113 billion in spending over six years. Based on current estimates, the actual money spent will be about $105 billion, she said.
Herseth said one way the nation could cut ag spending is to limit payments to large farms to $250,000 a year. That must be addressed in 2007 when the next farm bill is authored, she said.
In April, when the cuts to ag programs were at the $3 billion level, Herseth voted against the budget.
Also on Thursday, Herseth said she's disappointed that country-of-origin labeling regulations, often called COOL, will not be implemented until at least 2008. She said the enforcement of the meat-labeling law will have to be discussed as the next farm bill is written if not before.Aberdeen American News
