Republicans Approve Farm Subsidies, Bush Threatens Veto

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Republicans Approve Farm Subsidies, Bush Threatens Veto

By Becky Ogann

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - The House and Senate are bucking President Bush's veto threats on issues of oil and food.

Members of the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved boosting food stamps and farm subsidies. In the Senate, 35 of 49 Republicans abandoned Bush and joined Democrats in approving a $290 million farm bill that increases food aid for the needy and subsidies for farmers earning record high incomes.

Congress also voted to temporarily halt daily shipments of 70,000 barrels of oil into the nation's emergency reserve, with the crude to be made available to consumers.

Among GOP lawmakers joining the Democratic majority were presumptive Republican nominee John McCain and Senator Pete Domenici, the top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
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Thursday, May 15 at 7:58 PM D wrote ...

The best thing the government could do is NO FARM PROGRAMS. No welfare. No food aid for the needy. I'm a farmer and it would be good for the government go get out of farming all together. We all need to learn to take care of ourselves and not let the government control our lives. People on assistance should get a job if they are able at all to work. Don't blame the "Farm Bill" cost totally on farmers, a lot of the money doesn't go to farmers, but they get the blame for the Farm Bill.

Thursday, May 15 at 9:58 PM Secrets wrote ...

Coming from somebody that is in a middle class family, im a little ticked off here. We haven't gained anything and it would almost be better for us, for me to quit my job and be on assistance. Wow, to think in reality even though people who are on assistance don't get the cash..they got it better then us...and they just got upped even more....:( What about the middle class?

Thursday, May 15 at 9:59 PM Agree.. wrote ...

I live in a rural area and agree that the Farmers need the gov't to back off. I hear it from a lot of the farmers in my area.My hat is off to you guys.and ladies..not an easy job.

Thursday, May 15 at 11:03 PM R wrote ...

You should have just left the last 4 words in the title off! It would have grabbed even more attention.

Thursday, May 15 at 11:06 PM Back Off Jerks!!!!! wrote ...

Let me tell you something. I am a married mother of three. My husband and I take turns working because I can not afford nor do I want to put my kids in daycare. We get Title 19 (Medical) and food stamps. The more we work the less we get in assistance which makes it harder to save up money to become self sufficient. I then have to spend money ment for bills on food. I then have to push money all around chasing my tail to pay all my bills. Before you start saying something about well then why...

Thursday, May 15 at 11:14 PM Back off Jerks!!!! wrote ...

..don't you both get jobs. We tried that. When we both work we have to pay for Daycare which is $80-$100 per kid. At three kids that is $960-$1200 in one month. Then we would also have to buy a second car which would cost $1000 for a beater. Gas to and from work for the second car $80-$100 a month. Lunches at work $100 a month. That is a minimum of $1400 a month. With a $9.00 an hour job, which is average around here, we would have $40 left for food because our food stamps would be taken away...

Thursday, May 15 at 11:20 PM Back off Jerks!!!! wrote ...

...can you feed 5 people on $40? I doubt it. Not to mention the fact that strangers would be raising my kids. NO! I pay taxes every week out of my check. I pay for the money I get. I agree that people sitting on their rumps all day shouldn't get squat. Unless they are very disabled or on Maternity leave no one should be with out a job. McDonald's is always hiring. At least attempt to help pay for your free loading but no one has the right to talk bad about me. I do NOT have it better than you..

Friday, May 16 at 12:22 AM Bodie wrote ...

Back off Jerks. Just a word of advice. Did you know that Obama wants to excuse taxpayers 65 and older, from paying income tax if their income is less than $50.000? My late Mother did not have income of $50,000 a year because she did not need the money and did not cash in her investments, thus no taxable event. She died with 1.5 million in assets. He wants you to pay taxes and to excuse only those 65 from paying. Pandering to the AARP crowd.

Friday, May 16 at 7:00 AM welfare farmers? wrote ...

Why on earth would a farmer need to be on food stamps? Don't they feed the whole world as many farmers claim? Can't they feed themselves? A REAL farmer should be able to raise chickens, beef, pork and a large garden. Not everyone is cut out to be a farmer ( poor management skills). You say you have a job, why not have a job with benefits, which means health insurance, then you can get off title 19. Raised 2 kids on those low paying jobs, no hand outs. SO GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY POCKETS!

Friday, May 16 at 8:01 AM In 8 Years wrote ...

I've seen nothing improve in our middle class situation. Now we are trying to squeeze more out of less, while we send boatloads of money overseas. I abandoned this poor excuse of a man in 2000.

Friday, May 16 at 10:06 AM Get in line, losers! wrote ...

"House and Senate overwhelmingly approved boosting food stamps and farm subsidies". Gee, really? Sorry again, taxpayers.

Friday, May 16 at 10:13 AM To Back Off Jerks wrote ...

Cry me a river. Possibly, if you can't afford to have 3 kids, you shouldn't be having kids. The situation your in is nobodies fault but your own. You made your choices, the rest of us shouldn't have to pay to support you. Sorry, but theres no sympathy coming from this direction.

Friday, May 16 at 10:20 AM farm girl wrote ...

Excuse me 7:00AM. You obviously know nothing about farmers. They typically specialize in 1-2 things such as corn & pigs or cattle and hay. This way they can feed their pigs the corn they produce...etc, etc. Visit a farm, most farmers are poor...hasn't been money in farming until recently. Who wants to work that hard for so little pay? Not you!

Friday, May 16 at 11:47 AM To Back of Jerks wrote ...

So what you're saying is many people just like you who failed to get a college education, and popped out unexpected kids one after another are entitled to the rest of us breaking our backs and trying to do better for ourselves while you parasites are sucking our livelihood, should back off? Wow you really made a good point there, good point about how people who don't mess up and actually think about their future should have to pay for people like you who don't. I have not pity or sympathy...

Friday, May 16 at 11:57 AM To Back of Jerks cont'd wrote ...

So you have no entitlement to anything just because of the mistakes you chose to make. but the rest of us who do have nice paying jobs because yes, we worked hard to get where we are, or are working towards a better living will still let you thrive off the money we work hard to make because, you deserve to be helped. Bleeding hearts of the world unite behind you, while you're robbing the money out of my paycheck because you chose to be where you are, not because you were forced to be.

Friday, May 16 at 2:40 PM I want my foodstamps! wrote ...

Frankly, I'm getting tired of working for a living. And what's the point of working anyway when vote-grabbing politicians will pay me to NOT work? It's the future of America, so sign me up!

Friday, May 16 at 2:56 PM wow wrote ...

.....if you didn't grow up on a farm AND make your money from a farm you have no clue what farming is all about. Town people thing they know everything.

Friday, May 16 at 10:40 PM Greetings from a City Slicker wrote ...

All I can say is that I work hard too, at my job in the city as a mechanic. The US Govt doesn't pay me ANY subsidies to do my job. Why?

Saturday, May 17 at 2:21 AM to farm girl... wrote ...

The farm crises has been over for 20 years. The farmers are not poor...visit other farms, THEY are rolling in money, part of which comes out of MY pocket ( farm programs). I didn't expect you to understand how to raise your own food when it's so much easier to take your food stamps to the store to buy TV dinners and pizza, with money out of MY pocket. BTW I paid 12k in health costs, how about you?...just sick of free loaders!

Saturday, May 17 at 12:44 PM Reality Check wrote ...

It seems the Ag community is born into the mindset that Govt subsidies are owed to them. OK, so farming is hard work, they feed the world, etc. That always sounds good, but every occupation adds value to society too. It's time to stop the excuses and break the cycle of dependency on the US Govt. Get out of bed with the career politicians, and start showing a little RESPECT to the taxpayers who get stuck with the bill every time.

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