June 6, 2008

US Farm Bill goes through second round in Senate due to omission error
    

The US Senate Thursday (June 5, 2008) again voted to approve a new farm bill, but the version passed this time included a section that was previously omitted.

The Thursday vote was 77 to 15, demonstrating enough support to override a presidential veto.

The US House of Representatives and Senate voted to approve the five-year, US$290 billion farm bill in mid-May and it was quickly vetoed by President George W. Bush.

However, the bill Bush vetoed was not the same bill approved by Congress because of a clerical error. Congress sent over legislation that was missing the trade and food aid section of the farm bill.

Rather than redo the voting and send a complete farm bill to the White House, lawmakers decided to conduct veto overrides on the incomplete farm bill. Those overrides were successful and 14 of the 15 farm bill titles were enacted into law.

Senate and House leaders decided they could not simply pass the trade title separately. Instead, the strategy was for both the Senate and House to re-approve complete farm bills and then resubmit the legislation to the White House.

Another veto is expected and both houses of Congress would have to once again override it.

If the strategy is successful, the complete farm bill would replace the already-enacted partial farm bill. The net effect would be to enact title three, the omitted trade and food aid section.