Move To Shield Nw Wheat From Embargo

A key House subcommittee moved Wednesday to make sure the Clinton administration would not include farm products or credit programs in any embargoes placed on India or Pakistan.

Another move is likely today in the Senate.

The House agriculture appropriations subcommittee approved an amendment to next year’s farm spending bill that exempts those products and loans to buy them. In a bipartisan 7-5 vote, the subcommittee approved the amendment written by Rep. George Nethercutt of Spokane.

“I’ve not argued as forcefully for anything in the last 3-1/2 years as I did for this,” Nethercutt said after the amendment was approved.

The administration has not announced which U.S. products will be embargoed to the two Asian countries in retaliation for their testing of nuclear devices. A White House official, however, told Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., last week that it was “very likely” Northwest wheat would be exempt from the embargo.

Nethercutt said he did not want to wait for a final decision by the administration. The amendment will be voted on by the full Appropriations Committee later this month, when the spending bill goes through a process known as markup.

The Senate’s farm spending bill is scheduled for markup today. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday that she would attempt to amend that bill, too.

Both Nethercutt and Murray said the exemptions are necessary to protect Northwest farmers, who rely on exports to sell most of their wheat. Pakistan is the region’s largest customer for its soft white winter wheat.