Although the farm bill made it through the mark-up of the Senate Agriculture Committee without any major holdups, it may have a tougher row to hoe during floor debate. Several members plan to introduce amendments that could result in a dogfight.
Senators Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., will bring an amendment to the floor seeking to set a hard cap on subsidy payments at $250,000.
Senators Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., plan to bring their 'FRESH' Act, which would overhaul crop subsidy programs and provide free crop revenue insurance to all commodity, fruit and vegetable growers.
Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is expected to introduce an amendment that would undo the change in committee to the Average Crop Revenue program. During committee mark-up, Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., amended the program decoupling the optional plan from crop insurance.
Floor debate in the Senate of the "Food and Energy Security Act of 2007" is expected to begin Monday.