Congress votes again to override Farm Bill veto
June 20, 2008 - - Congress voted yesterday to override President Bush’s
second veto of the Farm Bill. The House voted to override the veto by vote of
317 to 109. “Today’s vote will ensure that all parts of the Food, Conservation
and Energy Act are enacted into law,” Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin
Peterson said. “Particularly considering the serious concerns about rising food
prices and severe flooding affecting crops in the Midwest, this farm bill
provides a critical safety net for families and farmers.” Previously, the Senate
had overridden the veto on an 80-to-14 to vote.
Last month, Congress approved the conference report for the Food, Conservation
and Energy Act (H.R. 2419). When that bill was sent to the White House, one of
the bill’s 15 titles was inadvertently left out of the official copy of the bill
vetoed by the President. The action yesterday completes final passage of the
full Farm Bill.