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DEL.ICIO.USFarm bill vote splits Georgia Republicans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Look for the farm bill to be a topic of much conversation at the state Republican convention in Columbus on Friday and Saturday.
The bill, which President Bush has threatened to veto, has clearly split Republican members of the Georgia congressional delegation. In the House on Wednesday, U.S. Reps. Paul Broun, Nathan Deal, John Linder, Tom Price and Lynn Westmoreland voted against it.
Reps. Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston voted in favor.
In the Senate today, Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss voted yes. And Isakson has just put out a notice saying he “will vote to override the veto” by President Bush. We’re presuming Chambliss will do the same.
John McCain did not vote, according to the Senate roll call.
On a somewhat related note, CQPolitics has obtained a copy of that 20-page memo floating around Washington, written by U.S. Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, which outlines the looming debacle Republicans could be facing in November. See it here.
Comments
By tom ga hunter
May 15, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Good to know we have some Republicans in the House. We all know all we have in the Senate are big spending LIBERALS. Well we made someone’s son very rich.
By GeorgiaValues
May 15, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
Johnny and Saxby are spot on with this issue…the Farm Bill is a needed piece of legislation. Agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry and is responsible for 1 out of every 6 jobs.
This bill significantly reduces payments to farmers and ensures that Government assistance is going where needed.
Good work Johnny and Saxby!
By hutch
May 15, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this
it doesn’t matter how much of the state works in ag. isakson and chambliss shouldn’t be there to make sure we in georgia get as much of the federal pot as we can. they are there to make sure the united states enacts legislation that benefits the country as a whole. the farm bill DOES NOT do that. subsidies take money out of the pockets of non-farmers and funnels it directly into the pockets of an apparently very powerful lobby. may we never here again of our government’s corporate welfare. if you can’t support youself in your job without help from the government, find another line of work. our senators are generally very good on fiscal issues, but here, they’ve let us all down. but then again, they are politicians, and we really can’t expect politicians to act in the best interests of the country unless the country’s interests coincide with their own interest to get re-elected. saxby’s up this year and he’d likely get torn to pieces down here if he voted against it.
By cnote
May 15, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this
I wonder if this is a sign that Westmoreland is not going to run for Governor while Kingston and Gingrey have more ambitious plans.
Especially Gingrey, born and bred in metro Atlanta; his current group of constituents could care less about farm subsidies.
By Kate
May 15, 2008 6:56 PM | Link to this
You know this legislation also closes the Enron Loophole. The loophole that allows oil to be traded in secret under no govt. supervision. It is the only commodity traded secretly. Thank you Sen. Chambliss and Sen. Isackson for voting for it. The passage of this bill is a loss to oil traders who are spiking the price of oil.
By gafarmer
May 15, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
This is a farm bill in name only. Farmers receive less than 1/4 of the benefits.
By kreedham
May 15, 2008 7:27 PM | Link to this
The same Republicans named above as well as Phil Gingrey voted against the new GI Bill. This from the “We support the President and the War, just not the veterans.
By Larry
May 15, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this
This is the “farm” bill that puts $197 billion into the hands of the “needy”, right? The $47 billion that has anything to do with farms is a joke.
By tom ga hunter
May 16, 2008 5:59 AM | Link to this
GeorgiaValues
How much did you & your papa rip off out of this personally?? Isn’t it great to be a lobbiest??How do you live with yourself??
By Reality Check
May 16, 2008 11:13 AM | Link to this
kreedham, you mean the “GI Bill” that creates a new $51 billion entitlement program? A new program that would NOT be available to service members who enlisted and served before 9/11? That was a dog of a bill that shamefully hid behind our military men and women, and it deserved to be voted down.
By tom ga hunter
May 16, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
Reality Check
Saxby sure didn’t have a problem with giving RACE HORSES an entitlement.. Our vets need to get together & hire his lobbiest son, that way they would be fairly treated.
By Chris
May 26, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
Way to much fat. $127M for Salmon Fishermen. I doubt it if a single farmer who benefits from this bill would quit if it has not passed. If they need to raise prices, so be it.
By Chris
May 26, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
Way to much fat. $127M for Salmon Fishermen. I doubt it if a single farmer who benefits from this bill would quit if it has not passed. If they need to raise prices, so be it.