Agricultural Secretary says Farm Bill is dead unless gimmicks, tax credits, tax increases are shelved

In South Dakota, acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said that he is recommending veto of the Farm Bill unless tax increases and budget gimmicks are removed, as well as credits for farmers making more than $200,000 in farm income.

In Washington, the Farm Bill appears headed for Senate passage after more than 260 amendments were offered to the bill, creating a month-long delay in consideration of a final bill. The bill includes more than $1.3 billion in research and incentive dollars for biofuels. President Bush has raised the threat of a Farm Bill veto, the first since 1956, over subsidies.

The bill earmarks $1.3 billion for biofuels over the next five years, and includes cellulosic ethanol incentives.

The House Bill passed in July. The Senate passed an overall funding measure on October 5, but the Agriculture Committee under committee chairman Tom Harkin had been working on specific program allocations, which include ethanol tax credits and next-generation biofuel investments. The Senate finance committee previously proposed cutting the ethanol tax credit to 46 cents per gallon.

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