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The proposals are available at
www.usda.gov/farmbill. Also posted on USDA's
website are the Farm Bill Forum transcripts, farm
bill comments submitted by the public, theme papers
summarizing the comments and USDA analysis papers. Highlights of the proposals include (funding
reflects ten year totals):
 | Increase conservation funding by $7.8 billion,
simplify and consolidate conservation programs,
create a new Environmental Quality Incentives
Program and a Regional Water Enhancement Program
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| Provide $1.6 billion in new funding for
renewable energy research, development and
production, targeted for cellulosic ethanol, which
will support $2.1 billion in guaranteed loans for
cellulosic projects and includes $500 million for
a bio-energy and bio-based product research
initiative |
| Target nearly $5 billion in funding to support
specialty crop producers by increasing nutrition
in food assistance programs, including school
meals, through the purchase of fruits and
vegetables, funding specialty crop research,
fighting trade barriers and expanding export
markets |
| Provide $250 million to increase direct
payments for beginning farmers and ranchers,
reserve a percentage of conservation funds and
provide more loan flexibility for down payment,
land purchasing and farm operating loans
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| Support socially disadvantaged farmers and
ranchers by reserving a percentage of conservation
assistance funds and providing more access to
loans for down payments, land purchasing and farm
operating |
| Strengthen disaster relief by establishing a
revenue-based counter-cyclical program, providing
gap coverage in crop insurance, linking crop
insurance participation to farm program
participation, and creating a new emergency
landscape restoration program |
| Simplify and consolidate rural development
programs while providing $1.6 billion in loans to
rehabilitate all current Rural Critical Access
Hospitals and $500 million in grants and loans for
rural communities to decrease the backlog of rural
infrastructure projects |
| Dedicate nearly $400 million to trade efforts
to expand exports, fight trade barriers, and
increase involvement in world trade
standard-setting bodies |
| Simplify, modernize, and rename the Food Stamp
Program to improve access for the working poor,
better meet the needs of recipients and States,
and strengthen program integrity |
The Administration's 2007 farm bill proposals
would spend approximately $10 billion less than the
2002 farm bill spent over the past five years
(excluding ad-hoc disaster assistance), upholding
the President's plan to eliminate the deficit in
five years. These proposals would provide
approximately $5 billion more than the projected
spending if the 2002 farm bill were extended.
Fact Sheet: A Commitment to Rural America
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