CONGRESSMAN
COLLIN C. PETERSON
Minnesota - 7th
District http://www.house.gov/collinpeterson/
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28, 2002
CONTACT: Rob Larew /202-225-2165
Peterson
Appointed to Farm Bill Conference Committee
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congressman Collin C. Peterson (DFL – MN 7th District) has been appointed to the House-Senate Conference Committee on the Farm Security Act, the ongoing effort to overhaul and reauthorize the nation’s federal agriculture programs.
“My top priority in this is to take care of disaster assistance,” Peterson said. “Although this bill contains some new policy initiatives, we’ve got to take care of first things first. We have to have disaster assistance that’s sufficient to address the immediate needs we have in the 7th District.”
The Conference Committee conducts the formal process of reconciling the difference between the House-passed and Senate-passed versions of the Farm Bill. The Senate version of the bill is 1350 pages long and is structured over 5 years. By contrast, the House bill is only 380 pages long and structured over 10 years. Congress must pass identical bills in both the House and the Senate before sending the “final” version to the President for signature.
“We will have our work cut out for us,” Peterson said, “but my goal is to get this done as quickly as we can. I’m going to listen to all the arguments and consider all the issues, but at the same time I’ll be supporting the best combination of programs and money that we can get for central and northwestern Minnesota.”
In addition to Peterson, House Members appointed to the Conference Committee include House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (TX), Ranking Democrat Charlie Stenholm (TX), John Boehner (OH), Bob Goodlatte (VA), Richard Pombo (CA), Gary Condit (CA), Cal Dooley (CA), Terry Everett (AL), Frank Lucas (OK), Saxby Chambliss (GA), Jerry Moran (KS), Eva Clayton (NC) and Tim Holden (PA).
“We’ve got a seat at the table, but it’s going to be a challenge. I’m the only House Member participating who comes from the Midwest. There are lots of other people and many competing interests, but I can tell you that I’ll be doing all I can for farmers in our part of the country.”
The final version of the Farm Bill will probably be completed in April of this year.
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