THE HOUSE

Sugar Price Supports

By a vote of 150 to 271, the House rejected an amendment to lower from 18 cents to 16 cents per pound the level at which the government props up the price of domestic sugar. Although theprogram sets an artificially high price that works its way through to consumers, it operates at small cost to the Treasury. The vote occurred as the House debated a five-year extension of federal farm programs (HR 3950).

Supporter Jim Moody (R-Wis.) said: “To vote against this amendment is to say, ‘Down with the consumers, up with the handful of producers that benefit.’ ”

Opponent Jerry Huckaby (D-La.) said “the sugar program is a consumer program (providing) stable supplies of sugar at a solid, reasonable, predictable price.”

A yes vote was to lower federal price supports and thus the market price of sugar.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Dreier (R) X Rep. Martinez (D) X Rep. Moorhead (R) X Rep. Roybal (D) X Rep. Torres (D) X

Farm Subsidies

By a vote of 159 to 263, the House rejected a farm bill amendment to deny federal crop support payments to the nation’s wealthiest farmers, those with adjusted gross incomes of $100,000 or more. The amendment would have reduced spending for loans, direct payments and other subsidies by $700 million annually. Some 20,000 individuals and 4,500 farm entities would have been denied payments under the amendment.

Supporter Bill Green (R-N.Y.) asked: “Is it such a harsh thing to ask that people who are above $100,000 a year in income come off the dole?”

Opponent Neal Smith (D-Iowa) said the purpose of farm payments is not income maintenance but to stabilize supplies and prices for consumers.

A yes vote was to end taxpayer subsidies of the nation’s wealthiest farmers.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Dreier (R) X Rep. Martinez (D) X Rep. Moorhead (R) X Rep. Roybal (D) X Rep. Torres (D) X

Honey Program

By a vote of 178 for and 215 against, the House rejected an amendment to phase out the federal honey program over four years. This put the House treatment of honey in the new farm bill at odds with that of the Senate, which voted (below) to end the 51-year-old loan program that guarantees profits to about 2,000 beekeepers regardless of market conditions. The program cost $385 million during the past five years.

Sponsor Silvio O. Conte (R-Mass.) called honey supports “the most ridiculous giveaway program to ever wriggle its way into the law books.”

Opponent Glenn English (D-Okla.) said the honey program “has provided great benefit to not only American agriculture but the American consumer.”

A yes vote was to phase out the federal subsidy of beekeepers.

How They Voted Yea Nay No vote Rep. Dreier (R) X Rep. Martinez (D) X Rep. Moorhead (R) X Rep. Roybal (D) X Rep. Torres (D) X