Senator Salazar Calls Bush Veto Threat a "Slap in the Face"

On Friday, May 8th, Senator Ken Salazar called the promise of a Bush veto a "slap in the face", saying,

I am very disappointed in President Bush, who has announced that he will veto the Farm Bill. That decision is a slap in the face to those who care about America’s food security and to America’s farmers and ranchers.

It was Thursday, May 7th, that the Congress' Conference committee agreed on the Farm Bill package. See ConferenceOnePager for more details.

Senate Ag Committee Chair Tom Harkin also gave strong warning, saying "the President's veto would destroy the harvest just as the seeds are being planted. "

The Bill, called The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, does make real progress. Among the many steps forward ... Finally! ... is the requirement for Country of Origin Labeling, consumers will be able to tell where the food they buy was originally grown, and good for kids -- is $1B in funds for fresh fruits and veggies for school lunch. This Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Program" was originated by Senator Harkin, and comes at a time when more financially troubled families are signing up their kids for reduced price lunches, so this is particularly good news.

There is much more, including investments in renewable energy and conservation, international food aid, micro-enterprise loans and emergency disaster loans. The farm program safety net has been extended and modernized, with an updated adjusted gross income means test for commodity programs, too.

Overall, this is a good bill ... about 70% of the funding will go to nutrition, food safety, food security, renewable energy and conservation ... better than we had before!