Congress Sends New Farm Bill to the President

June 6, 2008 -President George W. Bush will veto the new version of the 2008 Farm Bill pending in Congress, a White House spokesman said on Thursday.

The Senate passed the bill, 77-15, in order to correct a clerical error that omitted the 35-page trade section from the bill when it was presented to the White House. Bush vetoed that version and the House and Senate then enacted it with two-thirds majority votes overriding the veto.

All of it became law, except for the section dealing with international food aid. The House voted, 306-110, on May 22 to pass the entire bill again. Thursday's Senate action will send the Farm Bill to the president for what the White House says will be a second veto.

Once that occurs, Congress plans to again override the veto. Then international food aid programs will join the rest of the package as law.

"In spite of the veto and override action in the coming days, the industry is fully confident that the Farm Bill will become permanent law and implementation efforts will continue," stated Peter Orwick, executive director for the American Sheep Industry Association. Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33

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