Kathianne
05-22-2008, 08:21 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080522/ap_on_go_co/congress_farm_bill
Congress enacts $290B farm bill over Bush veto
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 30 minutes ago
Congress enacted a massive farm bill Thursday with new and bigger subsidies for farmers, plus more food stamps for the poor.
But first Democrats had to eat a little crow that dimmed the election-year victory of overriding President Bush's veto for only the second time during his seven years in office.
Omitted from the $290 billion, five-year law because of a printing mistake was a small amount of money to address a growing global hunger crisis. Democrats only realized the mistake on Wednesday, just before the House voted 316-108 to override Bush's veto.
The Senate joined the override Thursday with a 82-13 vote. Eager to begin a Memorial Day vacation, the issue of helping starving countries was left for another day.
"I take responsibility for what happened here," said a chagrined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She said her reaction was "uncustomarily crude" upon learning that the 34 pages dealing with i...nternational food aid and trade were omitted from the bill sent to Bush.
Republicans and the White House accused the Democrats of incompetence.
"It seems that the congressional debate on the pork-laden farm bill is coming to an inglorious conclusion," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
...Could it possibly be that both Democrats and Republicans KNOW this is the worst the legislature could offer, but they know that the pork may, not guaranteed, may help them down the road. That it's bad for the country, well f that. Veto proof, both suck the napalm. Die, Congress.
Congress enacts $290B farm bill over Bush veto
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 30 minutes ago
Congress enacted a massive farm bill Thursday with new and bigger subsidies for farmers, plus more food stamps for the poor.
But first Democrats had to eat a little crow that dimmed the election-year victory of overriding President Bush's veto for only the second time during his seven years in office.
Omitted from the $290 billion, five-year law because of a printing mistake was a small amount of money to address a growing global hunger crisis. Democrats only realized the mistake on Wednesday, just before the House voted 316-108 to override Bush's veto.
The Senate joined the override Thursday with a 82-13 vote. Eager to begin a Memorial Day vacation, the issue of helping starving countries was left for another day.
"I take responsibility for what happened here," said a chagrined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She said her reaction was "uncustomarily crude" upon learning that the 34 pages dealing with i...nternational food aid and trade were omitted from the bill sent to Bush.
Republicans and the White House accused the Democrats of incompetence.
"It seems that the congressional debate on the pork-laden farm bill is coming to an inglorious conclusion," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
...Could it possibly be that both Democrats and Republicans KNOW this is the worst the legislature could offer, but they know that the pork may, not guaranteed, may help them down the road. That it's bad for the country, well f that. Veto proof, both suck the napalm. Die, Congress.