House approves election-year farm bill

One pet project gives tax breaks to racehorse owners.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a $290 billion farm bill Wednesday with a strong veto-proof majority, offering more subsidies for farmers, food stamps for the poor and special projects that lawmakers can bring home to voters this election year.

The 318-106 vote for the five-year bill came despite President Bush’s promised veto. He says the measure is too expensive and gives too much money to wealthy farmers.

About two-thirds of the bill would pay for nutrition programs such as food stamps and emergency food aid for the needy. An additional $40 billion is for farm subsidies while almost $30 billion would go to farmers to idle their land and to other environmental programs.

The Senate plans to vote on the bill today. Rejecting a veto by Bush would be even easier in the Senate because farm states have greater representation than they do in the House. Congress has only overridden one veto, on a water projects bill, during Bush’s two terms.

Republicans, however, criticized the mostly bipartisan and popular bill because home-state projects added in an election year. The bill includes tax breaks for Kentucky racehorse owners, extra help for farmers in Hawaii and Alaska, and dollars for salmon fishermen in the Pacific Northwest.

Ahead of the House veto, Bush made his objections clear, noting that married farmers who make up to $1.5 million still could collect subsidies under the new farm bill. “I believe doing so at a time of record farm income is irresponsible and jeopardizes America’s support for necessary farm programs,” Bush said.

The bill also would:

UBoost nutrition programs, including food stamps and emergency domestic food aid, by more than $10 billion over 10 years. It would expand a program to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren.

UIncrease subsidies for certain crops, including fruits and vegetables excluded from previous farm bills.

U Extend dairy programs.

UIncrease loan rates for sugar producers.

UUrge the government to buy surplus sugar and sell it to ethanol producers for use in a mixture with corn.

UCut a per-gallon ethanol tax credit for refiners from 51 cents to 45 cent. The credit supports the blending of fuel with the corn-based additive. More money would go to cellulosic ethanol, made from plant matter.

URequire that meats and other fresh foods carry labels with their country of origin.

UStop allowing farmers to collect subsidies for multiple farm businesses.

UReopen a major discrimination case against the Agriculture Department. Thousands of black farmers who missed a deadline would get a chance to file claims alleging they were denied loans or other subsidies.

UPay farmers for weather-related farm losses from a new $3.8 billion disaster relief fund.

Congressional negotiators tried for weeks to come closer to the White House on the amount of money paid to wealthy farmers — one of the chief sticking points with the administration.

The legislation would make small cuts to direct payments, which are distributed to some farmers no matter how much they grow.