Clinton Criticizes Proposed Farm Bill

President Clinton, while stopping short of a veto threat, criticized Senate-passed farm legislation he said holds the potential of a “cold turkey” end to subsidy payments.

“What I don’t like about it is that it is a bill that pays people the fixed payment no matter what crop prices are, and maybe even whether they plant a crop or not,” Clinton said Thursday. “I think you ought to have to farm to get a farm payment.”

The bill the Senate passed Wednesday would gradually end traditional crop subsidy programs for corn, cotton, rice and wheat.

“I think, on balance, it’s better to have a payment system that is an adequate safety net for farmers when prices are low, and that does not dish out money to people who don’t need it when prices are high, and they’re pretty good now,” Clinton said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.