3 Senators Launch Filibuster of Farm Bill

Three farm-state Democrats launched a filibuster early today moments before the Senate was ready to approve an omnibus farm bill calling for cuts in income subsidies for farmers.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) objected to a unanimous-consent request that Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) had to make in order for the Senate to take a final vote on the bill.

Harkin and Sens. John Melcher (D-Mont.) and J. James Exon (D-Neb.) had demanded that Dole give assurances that, in bargaining sessions with the House, senators would not advocate extensive cuts in income subsidies for wheat, corn, rice and cotton farmers. The House has already passed a farm bill.

Dole, noting that the Senate had indicated a strong preference for cuts instead of a four-year freeze of current subsidies, said he could give no such assurances.

As the filibuster continued, he said there was little chance Congress could pass a long-delayed farm bill this year unless the Senate completed action before going on a Thanksgiving recess scheduled to begin this weekend. He threatened to keep the Senate in session all night and all day today, and to return Monday if necessary.

Earlier, the Senate declared the honey price-support program a sour deal for taxpayers but showed a sweet tooth for sugar supports.

Senators approved an amendment by Sen. Dan Quayle (R-Ind.) to phase out the honey program, which has cost the government more than $250 million since 1980.

But the Senate brushed aside an effort by Sens. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) and Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) to cut subsidies for sugar growers.

On a voice vote, it also adopted an amendment by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) that would ban the importation of tobacco from South Africa until that country lifts its restrictions on press coverage of political unrest there.

Adoption of Quayle’s anti-honey aid amendment was by voice vote after a move to table or kill it failed on a 60-36 roll call.

Quayle said it was long past time for an end to “this honey of a deal for the minuscule number of beekeepers who turn to Uncle Sam for their sustenance.”

The U.S. buys honey sold below a guaranteed price that Quayle said was based on an outdated formula. About 2,500 beekeepers collected $100 million last year.

On a 60-38 vote, the Senate tabled the Bradley-Gorton amendment, which called for three small annual cuts in the guaranteed minimum price of sugar.

The sponsors argued that the artificially high prices hurt consumers, refiners and candy makers.

But sugar-state Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.) denounced the amendment as an effort to “make some big (sugar-using firms) bigger and run sugar farmers out of business.”