The U.S. Senate has rejected the Dorgan-Grassley amendment to close payment limitation loopholes and invest the savings in small business development, beginning farmers, and creating a future in rural America.
The vote demonstrates that Southern members of Congress are not the primary obstacle to farm policy that strengthens America’s rural communities. The responsibility for killing reform lies with a small handful of Northern Plains and Midwestern senators who sided with selfish interests over the needs of the majority of farmers and rural people.
The drive to kill reform in the Senate farm bill was led behind the scenes by Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota. He was joined in this vote by Senators Pat Roberts of Kansas, Ken Salazar of Colorado, Max Baucus of Montana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, George Voinovich of Ohio, and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
These senators are responsible for continuing the policy of destroying family farming and undermining rural communities by subsidizing mega farms to drive smaller operations out of business.
Senators Byron Dorgan and Chuck Grassley proved themselves true statesmen and genuine fighters for rural Americans. Also voting on the side of rural people were Senators Ben Nelson, Chuck Hagel, Tom Harkin, Tim Johnson, John Thune, Sam Brownback, Jon Tester, Herb Kohl, Russ Feingold, Barack Obama, Richard Durbin, Sherrod Brown, Richard Lugar, Evan Bayh, Carl Levin, Wayne Allard, Mike Enzi, and John Barrasso.
The amendment failed despite garnering the support of 56 senators, a clear, bipartisan majority.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had earlier announced a parliamentary maneuver forcing the Dorgan-Grassley amendment to gain a super majority of 60 votes for passage. Once again, the Democratic leadership has contradicted its rhetoric about representing ordinary Americans.
This action leaves us without meaningful payment limitation reform in either the House or Senate farm bill. The Senate bill halves the effective limit on direct payments and counter cyclical payments, but only for unmarried farmers. The House bill raises the limit for married farmers on direct payments made every year regardless of price, from $80,000 to $120,000.
It is conceivable that some additional reforms will be added in the conference committee convened in January to work out differences between the House and Senate bills. But that is a long shot.
This is a deeply disappointing vote. But it is no reason for despair. Citizens across this nation rose up and spoke out. You took on some of the nation’s richest and most powerful interests. And you won a majority. We just lost the vote.
We must not give up. This is but one battle. The struggle for genuine opportunity and fairness for rural people – all people – dates to the time of the prophet Isaiah. It will not be won or lost in a single vote, or a single generation. Our work for fairness, opportunity, and justice is work for the ages.
Agree or disagree: Send your comments to Chuck Hassebrook,
chuckh@cfra.org or call 402.687.2103 x 1018.
Dakota Rural Action has been a close ally of the Center for Rural Affairs since the South Dakota grassroots organization was established. In particular, Dakota Rural Action is a key ally in South Dakota on livestock market reforms, beginning farmer and rancher initiatives and on anti-corporate farming laws. Visit them online today. 
