Grassley Says Farmers Still a Priority

Iowa U. S. Senator Charles Grassley says the failure of a farm bill to pass in the final week of Congress won’t harm Iowa farmers. Democrats killed a republican version of the farm bill earlier this year, and republican senators in turn stalled the democrats’ version. While Grassley says the democratic version of the farm bill spent too much money, the opposition of the Bush Administration was for policy reasons, not financial ones. Grassley says a new farm bill will be the first priority of Congress when it reconvenes, and should be in place in plenty of time to meet the needs of farmers for the 2003 growing season.