Harkin blasts Republicans for holding up farm bill

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, the chair of the Senate Ag Committee, says he will move forward with the farm bill despite attempts by republicans to delay it. Republicans opposed an attempt to move the farm bill forward yesterday, and it fell seven votes short of passing out of the Senate. Harkin, a democrat, is hoping to be able to get the bill out of the Senate and into a conference committee to work out any differences with the House by next Wednesday. He says if that doesn’t happen, it would be tough to get the bill passed by the holiday recess. So far, Harkin says republicans haven’t been willing to discuss their differences.Harkin says he has laser vision on this issue, and says he just wants to get the “darn bill done and get it out and in place.”He warned again that the economic stimulus package is in danger if the farm bill doesn’t get passed. Harkin says he’s made it very clear he can guarantee the stimulus bill will be stopped if the farm bill isn’t passed. Harkin says he has enough colleagues to back him up on the issue.Harkin made his comments in a conference call today with reporters.