March 07,2008

Baucus, Grassley urge Farm Bill cooperation

MEMORANDUM

To: Reporters and Editors

From: Carol Guthrie for Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Jill Kozeny for Finance Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)

Re: forward movement on Farm legislation

Amid press reports regarding jurisdictional concerns over the farm bill, Senators Baucus and
Grassley today reiterated their commitment to completing legislation for America’s farmers in the
coming weeks. The Senate Finance Committee wrote and holds jurisdiction over a number of
elements of the Senate-passed farm bill having to do with tax and trade issues – as the
Committee holds sole Senate jurisdiction over U.S. tax and trade policy. The leaders and
members of the Senate Agriculture Committee overwhelmingly voted to approve the entire bill
last December.

Baucus and Grassley, who are the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Finance panel as well
as members of the Agriculture Committee, said today that the Finance Committee’s proper
exercise of jurisdiction over provisions such as disaster relief funded by agricultural tariffs and the conversion of some farm payment programs to tax credit programs should raise no opposition to completion of strong farm legislation.

“Farmers know that it takes everyone working together to bring in the harvest. America’s farmers need their leaders in Congress to work together on the farm bill. They need us all to do our parts, and get on with the work of producing our ‘crop’ – in this case, strong legislation that helps our farm families and keeps America’s agricultural system first in the world,” the Senators said. “For the sake of America’s farm families, we in the Senate should acknowledge our shared responsibility to complete this bill, and all pull together to get it done.”

Positive negotiations continue on offsets for the farm bill.

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