The American Farm Bureau Federation recently submitted questionnaires to each candidate for president asking them to outline their views and policy leanings about agriculture. Here's what they said. (Reprinted from Farm Bureau News)

A new farm bill will be written within the next two years. What will your administration's priorities be?

As the farm sector moves toward market-driven production, I believe the government should help farmers adapt to a global marketplace by providing a strong safety net and the means to manage the cyclical downturns in the farm economy. That's why I support:

—Additional emergency assistance in the form of direct payments, consistent with the principles in the 1996 farm bill, to ensure that the move toward a market-oriented farm policy continues.

—Reform of the crop insurance program: We must develop a crop insurance program that better reflects farmers' risk management needs, including policies that cover more commodities, including livestock, offer a wider variety of plans, more comprehensive coverage and affordable premiums. We should encourage the private sector to continue to develop new risk management tools, like the crop revenue coverage and revenue assurance programs.

—Incentives to encourage farmers and ranchers to establish tax-deferred accounts to help manage fluctuations in farm income: I support the creation of farm and ranch risk management accounts that would permit farmers to reserve a substantial percentage of their net farm income in a tax-deferred account.

What initiatives would you propose to maintain economic viability of the predominantly family-owned farm and ranch structure of American agriculture during a time of structural economic change in the production, marketing and transportation sectors?

One immediate priority when I am president will be abolishing the death tax. People should be able to pass their assets, often family businesses or family farms, from one generation to the next without having to sell them off to pay a punitive tax to the federal government. Under my plan, wealth would be taxed once—when it is earned—not again when entrepreneurs and senior citizens pass the fruits of their labors to the next generation.

What changes in the estate and capital gains tax code would your administration support to alleviate these tax burdens on farm families?

The spirit of the American farmer is emblematic of the spirit of America, signifying the values of hard work, faith and entrepreneurship. The estate tax violates every principle common to strong families, smart government and free enterprise. It has always amazed me that while trying to help farmers on one end through positive agriculture policies, the government punishes farmers on the other end with this destructive tax. Government makes it impossible for families to carry on one generation after another, and then we wonder why America's farms are vanishing.

What steps would your administration take to negotiate new trade agreements and monitor the implementation of existing foreign trade agreements to create opportunity and ensure fairness for American agriculture?

I recognize that the future prosperity of America's farmers depends on expanding markets overseas. I am committed to free trade and will work to tear down barriers everywhere and will use every available tool to combat unfair trade practices. I am confident that America's best is the best in the world. To lead the world on trade and open markets for U.S. farmers, we must:

—Pass presidential trade negotiating authority so that we can negotiate new market-opening agreements: Every president since Gerald Ford has had this authority, which the Clinton-Gore administration let expire in 1994.

—Push for an ambitious agenda for the next round of global trade talks: The next trade round should level the agricultural playing field once and for all by completely eliminating agricultural export subsidies and tariffs worldwide.

—As yet, they have failed to get this important tool renewed. The lack of this authority has not only hobbled this Administration's ability to pry open foreign markets, but has undermined America's fundamental ability to lead global market-opening efforts. As president, I will work with Congress to renew presidential trade negotiating authority. Eliminate barriers to safe food: WTO rules clearly state that health and safety regulations must be based on sound science. As president, I will fight to ensure that U.S. products are allowed entry into the European Union and require them to use accepted scientific principles in enacting their regulations.

—Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes: Unilateral trade sanctions are rarely effective in achieving their foreign policy goals, and often force U.S. businesses and farmers to lose market share to foreign competitors. That is why I believe that, if sanctions are used, they should be directed at the offending government, not innocent populations, and food and medicine exports should be exempt from any new unilateral sanctions.

What would your administration do to support public research and development of agricultural biotechnology, ensure that new biotech products are safe, and assist in educating the public about the safety of approved biotech products?

In order for the U.S. agricultural economy to remain competitive, we must support projects that will generate new, exportable goods. That is why I support:

—Agriculture research and education activities that help develop technologically advanced farm products for market here in the United States and for export to our world partners.

—Permanent extension of the research and development tax credit.

The European Union's moratorium on the import of all but a handful of biotech crops is wrong. The rules state clearly that health and safety regulations must be based on sound science. And study after study has shown no evidence of danger. I will have strong relations with the EU, but I will not stand for unfair trade barriers.

I am also committed to searching for alternative uses for agricultural products, especially environmentally beneficial uses. That's why I support the ethanol tax benefit. As president, I will promote the development of new technologies for cost-effectively producing ethanol, bio- diesel fuel and other bio-fuels and products.

What would you do as president to minimize the growing regulatory burden and assist farmers and ranchers with regulatory compliance?

Private property is fundamental to our way of life and the backbone of our economy. As president, I will require the federal government to carefully evaluate the impact of regulatory initiatives on private property rights. If the government ever asks private landowners to refrain from utilizing land, I believe that the landowners should receive just compensation for their loss.

As governor, I have supported efforts to prioritize problem-solving over process, encourage innovation through positive incentives rather than the threat of punishment, balance the competing interests and goals of traditional land management practices and environmentalism, and honor private property rights.

For an example of how I would employ these principles, consider the Kyoto Protocol, which I oppose. The Kyoto Protocol is ineffective, inadequate and unfair to America because it exempts 80 percent of the world, including China and India, from compliance. America must work with businesses and other nations to develop new technologies to reduce harmful emissions.

What would your administration do to ensure that farmers have access to affordable, proven and practical pest control tools for their farming operation? What would you propose to ensure that sound science is the basis for public policy decisions?

I support the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act. I recognize, however, that FQPA presents many challenges, and several key concerns need to be addressed in its implementation:

—The Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies should proceed to implement the new law in a manner that does not disrupt farmers' access to safe crop protection products.

—New requirements under FQPA should not be implemented in a manner that restricts the use of valuable crop protection tools unless viable alternatives are available.

The long-held concept of "multiple-use" of our public lands has been under pressure from the environmental community and regulators in recent years. Do you support the "multiple-use" policy? What assurances will you provide and what policies would you propose to ensure that ranchers who depend on public lands for their livelihood will continue to have reasonable access to these lands?

My philosophy is simple: conservation must begin with conversation. The federal government and the states, local communities and private landowners, must build conservation partnerships, and respect and work with one another to preserve our natural heritage.

As president, I will be committed to improving the quality of our environment, and will work with both Republicans and Democrats to achieve our important environmental goals.

Numerous factors have contributed to a significant labor shortage in agriculture. As president, what would you do to ensure that agriculture has the necessary labor force to produce and harvest crops? Will you support congressional efforts to reform the H-2A program?

America is a nation of immigrants; legal immigration strengthens America and those who come here seeking freedom and opportunity. As governor of a border state, I know firsthand that immigration is not a problem to be solved; it is the sign of a successful nation.

Today, however, when new Americans arrive on our shores, they are often greeted with bureaucracy and outright hostility. The Immigration and Naturalization Service must embrace a new standard of service and culture of respect.

Overall, I would consider proposed reforms that lead to fairer, more humane and more effective immigration laws, including expanding the H-2A temporary agricultural workers program so that willing workers can help meet America's labor needs.

Why should farmers and ranchers vote for you?

In this downturn in the farm economy, we must provide farmers with the means to weather change. And we must fight hard to expand existing export markets—and pry open new ones—to fuel the future growth of the farm economy.

I think there is a tendency to take the agriculture industry for granted. In a way, this is a tribute to farmers: America has long been the agriculture center of the world, and many just assume it will always be so. The American people have always been able to count on you. Now it is time that you, the farmers of America, were able to count on us.

I will be driven as president by this bottom-line priority: what is best for America. That firm philosophy—aiming to improve the lives of those who sent me here, nothing else—has been my record as governor, and that will be my record as president.

A new farm bill will be written within the next two years. What will your administration's priorities be?

I have continually fought for a strong safety net for America's farmers. In this year's budget, the administration and I proposed an $11 billion initiative to strengthen the farm safety net through 2002. But this annual need and battle for emergency aid shows that the Republican "Freedom to Farm" law has failed and needs to be replaced. I believe that long-term U.S. farm policy should be based on countercyclical income assistance that attempts to stabilize farm income on a year-to-year basis and complementary federally-backed insurance policies that attempt to achieve revenue stability within the growing year. I support a plan, similar to that proposed by Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) last year, to increase payments as crop prices or yields fall and to direct them to farmers actually producing crops. I also support crop insurance reform to make crop insurance more effective and affordable by increasing federal support for insurance, expanding insurance to new crops and livestock, modifying production history rules and aiding farmers who suffer multi-year disasters.

What initiatives would you propose to maintain economic viability of the predominantly family-owned farm and ranch structure of American agriculture during a time of structural economic change in the production, marketing and transportation sectors?

I have a long record of leadership on agricultural issues. I understand that supporting family farming and rural communities is essential to maintaining food security and preserving an important part of the American way of life. As a congressman, senator and vice president, I have fought for sound farm policies, including disaster assistance, crop insurance and expanded trade opportunities.

As president, I will shore up the agriculture safety net that protects farmers when crop prices or yields fall unexpectedly; open foreign markets to American livestock and crops; reduce concentration in agribusiness; and expand non-traditional uses for agricultural products, such as ethanol and bio-based energy and products. I also will work to protect farmland and conserve natural resources and environmentally-sensitive land. My agenda for our nation's smaller cities and towns goes beyond farming, however, to create opportunity for everyone in rural America, both inside and outside the agricultural economy. Rural Americans deserve the same chance as all Americans to enjoy world-class education and health care, safer communities, efficient transportation and quality, affordable housing.

What changes in the estate and capital gains tax code would your administration support to alleviate these tax burdens on farm families?

As president, I will support fiscally responsible measures to reduce the estate tax burden on farm families. My plan would raise the estate tax exemption applicable to family-owned farms from $2.6 million to $5 million for each family. Most small business owners and family farmers already pay no estate tax on their properties. My plan would eliminate estate taxes for more than 90 percent of family farms that currently pay estate taxes and provide estate tax relief for every family farm.

What steps would your administration take to negotiate new trade agreements and monitor the implementation of existing foreign trade agreements to create opportunity and ensure fairness for American agriculture?

I have worked hard to ensure fair access to foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products and have the international experience and knowledge to make expansion of agricultural trade a reality. As president, I will continue to pursue trade opportunities for America's farmers by negotiating for broad and deep reductions in agricultural tariffs and other trade-distorting barriers and for elimination of Europe's export subsidies. Likewise, I will continue to push our European trade partners to accept American beef products and bio-engineered grains that have proven to be safe. I also supported China's accession to the World Trade Organization on terms that benefit U.S. farmers and all Americans. Finally, I will continue to support exempting food and medicine from U.S. unilateral sanctions imposed on rogue nations, a policy implemented for the first time by me and this administration.

What would your administration do to support public research and development of agricultural biotechnology, ensure that new biotech products are safe, and assist in educating the public about the safety of approved biotech products?

Biotechnology holds tremendous promise for producers at home and consumers here and abroad. I believe that reducing world hunger and ensuring America's and the world's future food security depends on its development. Biotechnology promises new, higher-value crops for specific food and non-food uses, which will lead to increased farm income and improved economic opportunity in rural America.

As president, I will continue to fight for agriculture research funding and will battle against protectionist trade barriers overseas to open new markets to American biotech products. I also realize that consumers, both in the United States and overseas, are customers whose views and concerns must be addressed. That is why I support a strong, science-based system of regulatory review of biotechnology-derived products to ensure that they do not threaten human health or the environment. As president, I will work with European and other foreign leaders to help countries improve their regulatory systems. I also advocate a sound public and international education campaign to heighten awareness of both the benefits and the potential implications of biotechnology.

What would you do as president to minimize the growing regulatory burden and assist farmers and ranchers with regulatory compliance?
Given the number of regulations with which farmers and ranchers must comply, the government should supply farmers with the tools they need to keep track of these regulations and should share some of the costs of meeting these regulatory goals.

Accordingly, I support voluntary conservation programs offered by the Agriculture Department that provide technical and cost-share assistance for farmers to help them comply with clean air, water quality and other environmental regulations. I also support easing government-imposed burdens on farmers in other ways. For example, the government should ease the paperwork burden on farmers by streamlining program reporting requirements and making it easier for farmers to submit information electronically.

Better coordination among federal, state and local regulators is also necessary. Producers should not have to report multiple copies of the same information to federal and state regulators or to more than one federal agency.

What would your administration do to ensure that farmers have access to affordable, proven and practical pest control tools for their farming operation? What would you propose to ensure that sound science is the basis for public policy decisions?

Ensuring that farmers do not lose access to effective crop protection following enactment of the Food Quality Protection Act has presented some significant challenges. I am committed to resolving these issues in a way that recognizes the importance of pesticides in crop protection and satisfies the health-based objectives of the law. The Environmental Protection Agency must have the resources it needs to carry out the law effectively—particularly to complete the review of older pesticides and the approval of new and safer products in a timely manner. And in reviewing these products, it is essential that EPA has and uses the best possible data in evaluating pesticide risks so that its decisions are sound and scientifically based.

The long-held concept of "multiple-use" of our public lands has been under pressure from the environmental community and regulators in recent years. Do you support the multiple-use policy? What assurances will you provide and what policies would you propose to ensure that ranchers who depend on public lands for their livelihood will continue to have reasonable access to these lands?

My top priority in dealing with public lands is to maintain environmental soundness while ensuring that taxpayers get their fair share. I am in favor of multiple-use since ranchers have shown that federal lands can be used responsibly and sustainably for grazing in accordance with environmental law.

But ranchers and environmentalists alike know that not all federal land is appropriate for grazing, and I will work together to protect water quality, habitat for fish and wildlife species, and other natural and recreational resources.

Where grazing is permitted on federal land, I believe that federal agencies should work with ranchers to achieve the highest levels of range stewardship. I also support innovative approaches such as grass banking and voluntary, market-based initiatives to reduce the impacts of grazing and promote the best management practices.

Numerous factors have contributed to a significant labor shortage in agriculture. As president, what would you do to ensure that agriculture has the necessary labor force to produce and harvest crops? Will you support congressional efforts to reform the H-2A program?

I am committed to assuring an adequate, predictable supply of agricultural labor while protecting American farm workers who are among the poorest and more vulnerable in our society. I believe that we must punish employers who engage in a pattern and practice of recruiting undocumented workers in order to intimidate and exploit them, and provide strengthened protections for immigrant workers, including whistle-blower protections. Doing so enhances conditions for everyone in the workplace.

I reject calls for guest worker programs that lead to exploitation, and instead call for adjusting the status of immigrants with deep roots in the country.

To increase the supply of agricultural labor, I will continue to support the current administration's position opposing provisions like Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) amendment to the non-immigrant farm worker program, which would adversely affect the recruitment of legal U.S. farm workers.

In addition, I will continue to support the House passage of the amended Congressional Accountability for Regulatory Information Act of 1999 to allow more qualified immigrants to obtain non-immigrant visas by waiving or reducing the fees for certain applicants.

Why should farmers and ranchers vote for you?

I am committed to helping farmers and ranchers preserve their communities' economic vitality and their families' quality of life.

By fighting for a strong safety net for ranchers and farmers, expanding investment in rural communities and improving rural infrastructure, I will help farmers and ranchers keep their farms and ranches in the family, sustain self-sufficiency and preserve an important part of the American way of life.