Durbin sees hard road ahead for agriculture programs

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told members of the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) this week it will be very difficult to defend agriculture spending this year in light of the new drive to cut the federal budget. 

The IFB put out a statement that said Durbin called it "impossible to defend what were paying out at this time in direct payments," and that he called farm programs a "high-profile target for budget-conscious colleagues."

Durbin said when it comes to considering cuts, he wants "everything on the table, not just farm programs, but everything," according to the IFB. This fits in with Democratic complaints that Republicans have been trying to cut $100 billion only from discretionary non-security spending, and is not looking at a broader group of programs for cuts.

The IFB said proposed entitlement reform in the FY 2012 that Republicans are expected to introduce shortly will likely be a "big determinant" in how the 2012 farm bill is written. But based on Durbin's comments, it is clear that farm payments might end up on the chopping block, an outcome that many Democrats have called for in recent weeks as Republicans have cut other programs.

"After meeting with Sen. Durbin, it was pretty evident direct payments are going to be hard to defend going forward," the IFB said.

The current farm bill expires in mid-2012, and Congress is expected to prepare to write the next farm spending program.