Lyng Warns of Cost of Drought Bill
Agriculture Secretary Richard E. Lyng warned Wednesday that a $5-billion farm drought-relief package will run into trouble at the White House unless congressional conferees scale down parts of the bill.
Lyng declined to threaten a veto recommendation, but he told conferees, meeting for the first time to work out differences in House and Senate versions, that the Administration would insist on eliminating costly add-ons.
The secretary cited a provision in the Senate bill that would cost an additional $2 billion by providing feed assistance to most livestock producers, whether they have suffered crop losses or not. The House version limits aid to farmers who raise part or all of their feed supplies.
Unless the Senate language is changed, he said: “I would find it very difficult to recommend that the President sign this bill.”
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