Johanns (R was against Ne) and Kleeb (D-Ne) support farm bill

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10336105

Published Friday May 16, 2008
Johanns and Kleeb support farm bill
BY JOSEPH MORTON
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON — When the U.S. House passed a version of the farm bill last year, then-Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns advised President Bush to pull out his veto pen.

That's exactly what Bush is expected to do when he receives the five-year, $290 billion compromise farm bill finally approved by Congress this week.

The Senate approved the bill 81-15 on Thursday, following a 318-106 approval Wednesday by the House. Both votes provide a veto-proof margin.

Johanns, a Republican, is back in Nebraska running for the U.S. Senate and now says he would have voted for the farm bill.

He cited two major reasons for the change.

The first involves the removal of a House provision that called for raising taxes on multinational corporations.

FULL story at link.

Senate candidate reaction "I just don't like this idea that we're sending farm payments into New York City. Payment limits is an area where some could argue there was some progress, but it's pretty limited. I wish they had gone farther."
- Republican Mike Johanns

"It brings (disaster relief funding) into the normal budgetary process. There's always going to be a need for that disaster relief."
- Democrat Scott Kleeb