Who's Picking up the 2002 Farm Subsidies Bill?

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In 1996, Congress passed the Freedom to Farm Act, which favored a free market approach to agriculture and ended crop subsidies for millionaire athletes and billionaire media moguls. But six years later, real farmers claim that without federal assistance they'll go out of business. In this election year, the Act is being effectively overturned, and subsidies will increase by almost 80 percent with a cost to taxpayers of 4400 dollars apiece in the next 10 years. What happened to the promise Congress made six years ago? We speak with farmers and farming authorities about the impact of federal farm policy and the need for permanent agriculture welfare.
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Pakistan News Service

Agriculture Conservation and Rural Enhancement Act (S 1731)

Farm Security Act (HR 2646)

American Enterprise Institute Magazine

American Soybean Association

Center for Rural Affairs

Heritage Foundation

Missouri Farm Bureau

US Department of Agriculture

Portland Mercury

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney