Legislation

Key players are Texans

American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman (second from right) visited with President-elect George W. Bush and Vice President-elect Dick Cheney recently in Austin as the new administration met with agriculture leaders from across the nation. Said Stallman of the experience: "We're obviously pleased Bush will be taking over the presidency. He has shown a consistent commitment to agriculture as governor of Texas. Our meeting today, he reaffirmed that commitment to agriculture. He talked about how it was in the national security interests for us to have a strong agriculture, and that he understood the problems facing agriculture, and he pledged his administration was willing to work with agriculture, listen to our concerns and respond and work out the problems."

By Mike Barnett
Editor

As Texas Farm Bureau President Donald Patman looks toward the new year, he sees several positives for Texas agriculture.

One is President-elect George W. Bush. Another is American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman. A third is House Ag Committee Chairman Larry Combest. Number four is Ranking Ag Committee member Charlie Stenholm. All are Texans. All understand Texas agriculture. And that bodes well for farmers and ranchers in the Lone Star State.

"We have people in places in Washington, D.C., that understand our problems," the president of the state's largest farm organization said. "They know what they are. It will be easy to work and communicate for the betterment of agriculture."

As for a Congress that is almost evenly divided between the two major parties, Patman is cautiously optimistic the 107th Congress will treat agriculture fairly. He noted that agriculture did make several gains last year as the 106th Congress responded to the economic weakness in agriculture by devoting billions of dollars in disaster assistance, compensation for loss of markets and economic aid; eliminating many trade sanctions; and making significant, positive changes to the crop insurance program, among others.

"I see Congress treating agriculture, hopefully somewhat like they did in the last session," Patman said. "I think they understand the dilemma agriculture has been in."

National issues

However, there is some unfinished business from the 106th Congress. Texas Farm Bureau Legislative Director Steve Pringle said the issue foremost in Farm Bureau members' minds is repeal of the estate tax.

Repeal of the so-called "Death Tax" was vetoed by President Clinton and a subsequent override failed by a dozen votes. Pringle is optimistic the estate tax repeal will pass in the 107th Congress.

"We expect that to be addressed early in the new Congress, and hopefully the votes will be there to pass it," Pringle said. "President-elect Bush has indicated he plans on signing the bill."

A major issue will be the rewrite, one year early, of the "farm" portion of the farm bill. According to Pringle, there are six sitting senators on the Senate Agriculture Committee that are up for re-election in 2002.

"There's a strong desire to pass at least the `farm' portion of the bill this year," Pringle said, noting that other elements such as the research title, pesticide title and food stamps, among other areas, could be left for the next year. "There's a recognition that it has to be done in 2002, anyway."

Another factor for a rewrite in 2001 is the U.S. is close to reaching its limits in terms of support payments in regard to World Trade Organization agreements.

"If we go over that cap of 19-plus billion dollars, then that eliminates that deal done years ago with the European Union," Pringle said. "Obviously, if we throw that out, they can start spending a lot more on their farmers, and then we go back to where we were originally.

"Plus," he continued, "from the producers' standpoint, low prices are beginning to take their toll—they're beginning to put producers out of business."

Other national issues:

• Regulations: "If you look at the last 30 to 45 days, the Clinton administration has come forward with a whole raft of new regulations in the area of fuel economy, in the areas of clean air and clean water," he said. "Obviously, we're going to have to look at this and figure out how to either adjust those regulations so that producers can live with them or simply try to repeal them."

• Trade: "I expect that fast-track authority will be granted to the president next year," he said. "We're going to continue to work on expanding trade with Cuba. That's one of our priorities."

State issues

Priority issues for the 77th Texas Legislature, as determined by the Texas Farm Bureau board, were published in the Dec. 15, 2000 issue of Texas Agriculture (Notes From Austin, Page 16). However, Pringle briefly touched on two of the most important.

"Redistricting is going to be extremely contentious," he said. "It will occupy the last 60 days of the session. Anything that gets done is going to have to get done before April, before that fight begins."

The other, water—because of drought-breaking rains in October and November across much of the state—has less pressure now in the Legislature than it did in the summer months.

"Some way or another, we have to recognize cities are going to get their share of water, and we have to figure out the best way to provide protections or security for agriculture producers," he said.