Posted:
June 20, 2008
On June 18, Congress voted a second time to override the President's veto of legislation known as the farm bill, enacting the law without a cut in funding for P.L. 480 food-aid shipments in U.S.-flagged vessels under the Food for Peace program.
The initial farm bill, H.R. 2419, was sent to the President last month, who vetoed the legislation. Both the Senate and House of Representatives voted to override the veto 82-13 and 316-108, respectively. However, the legislation sent to the President and subsequently enacted by Congress was missing one section, which contained food-aid provisions important to the U.S. merchant marine and maritime industry. The omission of the title has been attributed to a clerical error.
Both houses of Congress voted to approve the 2007 farm bill with all titles included, and again sent the legislation to the President, who vetoed it. The House voted 317-109 and the Senate voted 80-14 to override the veto for the second time.
In its budget request for this year, the Bush administration had proposed diverting up to 25 percent of the funding for Food for Peace to a pilot program that would deliver cash, rather than U.S. agricultural cargoes, to nations receiving U.S. food-aid.
Maritime labor strongly opposed the proposed reduction in food-aid funding. Under a cargo preference provision in the Food Security Act of 1985, 75 percent of all cargoes generated under P.L. 480 Title II (Food for Peace) are reserved for U.S.-flagged vessels, which employ American merchant mariners. The Food Security Act amended the Cargo Preference Act of 1954.
Congress rallies to enact farm bill with U.S. food-aid funding intact
On June 18, Congress voted a second time to override the President's veto of legislation known as the farm bill, enacting the law without a cut in funding for P.L. 480 food-aid shipments in U.S.-flagged vessels under the Food for Peace program.
The initial farm bill, H.R. 2419, was sent to the President last month, who vetoed the legislation. Both the Senate and House of Representatives voted to override the veto 82-13 and 316-108, respectively. However, the legislation sent to the President and subsequently enacted by Congress was missing one section, which contained food-aid provisions important to the U.S. merchant marine and maritime industry. The omission of the title has been attributed to a clerical error.
Both houses of Congress voted to approve the 2007 farm bill with all titles included, and again sent the legislation to the President, who vetoed it. The House voted 317-109 and the Senate voted 80-14 to override the veto for the second time.
In its budget request for this year, the Bush administration had proposed diverting up to 25 percent of the funding for Food for Peace to a pilot program that would deliver cash, rather than U.S. agricultural cargoes, to nations receiving U.S. food-aid.
Maritime labor strongly opposed the proposed reduction in food-aid funding. Under a cargo preference provision in the Food Security Act of 1985, 75 percent of all cargoes generated under P.L. 480 Title II (Food for Peace) are reserved for U.S.-flagged vessels, which employ American merchant mariners. The Food Security Act amended the Cargo Preference Act of 1954.