Isakson Praises Passage of Farm Bill
Calls It A Win for Rural America, Georgia Farmers 

WASHINGTON (December 14, 2007) – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today praised the Senate’s passage of a new five-year Farm Bill that continues to provide a safety net for farmers, increases conservation programs, provides incentives for renewable energy production and establishes a permanent disaster program 

   The Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (H.R.2419) passed the Senate by a vote of 79-14. The House has passed its own version of a Farm Bill and the two chambers must now seek to reconcile the differences between their two bills 

   “This Farm Bill is a win for rural America and for farmers in Georgia, where agriculture remains the number one industry in the state,” Isakson said. “I commend Senator Saxby Chambliss for his strong work in crafting this legislation and for making sure that we continue to meet the needs of farmers in Georgia and the Southeast.”

   Isakson was pleased that he and other Southeastern senators were able to defeat several proposed amendments that would have harmed farmers in Georgia and the Southeast, including an amendment to lower federal crop payments that would have put farmers in the Southeast in jeopardy of going bankrupt. Southern farmers tend to have larger, more costly farming operations than farmers in other parts of the country. Larger farm operations such as those in the South can reach one or more of the payment limits much faster than smaller farming operations in other parts of the country.

   “I am very glad we were successful in defeating several amendments that would have had an adverse affect on Southeastern farm operations. Why should we hurt farmers who are trying to make a decent living for their families in the face of tremendous challenges?” Isakson said.