by Denny Banister
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Most of us tend to procra- stinate a bit, putting off pro- jects until it’s absolutely nec- essary and then turning into a beehive of activity and pro- duction to meet the deadline. Then we vow we will never pro- crastinate again – beginning first thing tomorrow.
Congress is often accused of procrastination – take the Farm Bill, for example. The House finished their version of the Farm Bill nearly a year ago, but lack of direction in the Senate and veto threats from the Administration played a role in delaying the needed legislation.
While procrastination may occur in Congress, more often delays to vital legislation occur because of politics. Some legis- lation is blocked to prevent one party or another from receiving credit. Other legislation may be held hostage for support for something totally unrelated.
Still other legislation sure to pass is delayed or even destroyed by amendments designed with just that purpose in mind. With elections on the horizon, we will soon be inundated with negative political ads from members of both political parties.
Some ads will attack incum- bent opponents for voting against a bill that, on the sur- face, is good legislation. How- ever, an amendment added to the bill could prove disastrous for something else not even re- lated to the real purpose of the legislation, so the member of Congress votes against the bill.
Regardless of the reasons for delay, the new Farm Bill finally passed. No matter what we may have heard from groups opposed to the legislation, only 16 cents of every dollar actually goes to farmers – the other 84 cents goes to food stamps, school lunch programs, conservation, energy and other programs. The money that does go to farmers is not really for the farmers, however – it is for us.
The Farm Bill puts a safety net under farmers so they can afford to stay in the business of food production. Many acts of nature can quickly end a farmer’s career, but in today’s economy farmers are also victim to the intricacies of a global society.
Take away the farmer’s safety net and you will lose American farmers. Take away American farmers and you will lose food security in America. Food security for you and me is what the Farm Bill is really all about – period.
Editor’s note: Denny Banister, of Jefferson City, is assistant director of public affairs for MO Farm Bureau.