House passes farm bill
The vote was 231-191. President Bush has already threatened a veto.
Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson, who chairs the House ag committee said, "There is something in this bill for everybody to like. There's probably something in this bill for everybody not to like, but it's a step in the right direction."
The president initially objected to the amount of subsidies the bill contains for farmers, although the subsidies helped Peterson get enough votes to pass the bill. Republicans found a new provision to criticize when Democrats added a tax measure to pay for about $4 billion in food stamp and other nutrition programs. The plan would impose new taxes on some multinational companies with U.S. subsidiaries.
According to the AP:
Democrats said they were closing a loophole and cracking down on foreign tax-dodgers, while Republicans called it a massive tax hike that would affect manufacturers that provide millions of jobs in their districts. The spat sapped the farm bill of much of its customary bulletproof regional appeal, turning many rural Republicans against the measure.
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