Other groups joined with the White House in criticizing the farm bill for failing to reform farm programs sufficiently enough. Oxfam America, an international human rights and anti-hunger group, was lobbying against the bill.
“Congressional leaders settled on a bill that will continue to be costly to taxpayers, undermine our rural economy, damage trade relationships and hurt the world’s poorest farmers,” Raymond Offenheiser, Oxfam America president said in a statement.
It planned to send a letter to Congress as early as Tuesday voicing its opposition to the bill.
Plenty of other groups were backing the bill, however. Sugar producers stood to be among the big winners.
Nervous about a rise in sugar imports from Mexico as import restrictions finally fall away under the North American Free Trade Agreement, the powerful lobby won support for a provision that would direct the imports to ethanol refiners. That way, the imports wouldn’t compete with homegrown sugar used for fuel and drive down prices in the domestic market.
“That’s a huge cloud over the U.S. sugar market,” said Phillip Hayes, a spokesman for the American Sugar Alliance, an umbrella group, of the removal of the trade barriers between Mexico and the United States.
The bill would increase spending on nutrition programs by more than $10 billion, a priority for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). That increase includes $1 billion to provide fruit and vegetable snacks for school children and $1.25 billion for an emergency food assistance program.
The bill also seeks to hike spending on conservation programs by nearly $8 billion and increase a tax credit for cellulosic ethanol to $1 a gallon. The Week in Congress DEFENSE
• The House Armed Services Committee is marking up the 2009 defense authorization bill on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in 2118 Rayburn.
ENVIRONMENT
• The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a hearing on a bill that would regulate mercury pollution on Tuesday at 10 a.m. in 406 Dirksen.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
• The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee holds a hearing on Sudan policy on Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. in S-407 of the Capitol.
HEALTHCARE
• The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health subcommittee holds a hearing on a bill to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s authorities over food and drug import safety on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
TAXES
• The Senate Finance Committee examines tax reform policy targeted at individuals at a hearing set for Tuesday at 10 a.m. in 215 Dirksen.
TRANSPORTATION
• The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reviews the proposed Delta-Northwest merger during a hearing set for Wednesday at 2 p.m. in 2167 Rayburn.
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