TPA Joins Coalition Warning Congress about Bloated Farm Bill

The big story of the last month, and the remainder of the year, is the fiscal cliff; the combination of tax increases and spending cuts that are due to go into effect on January 1, 2013.  In fine Washington tradition, members of Congress are trying to tack on other pieces of legislation to the fiscal cliff legislation.  One of those pieces may by the Farm Bill.  The Taxpayers Protection Alliance has joined with ten other taxpayers and free market groups warning Congress of including the bloated and expensive Farm Bill to the fiscal cliff legislation.  Rushing through a Farm Bill is bad policy and bad for taxpayers because the full House hasn’t even considered a Farm Bill and amendments will not be allowed.  And, if history is any indication, the current price tag of $958-$970 billion could be a woefully low estimate.

Read full letter below:

December 7, 2012

Dear Member of Congress,

It is the height of fiscal irresponsibility to include a five-year reauthorization of agricultural programs as part of a deficit reduction package to avert the so called fiscal cliff. History shows that like used car dealers, Congress low balls the price tag to get a Farm Bill off the lot. So that speculative $35 billion in savings coming from the nearly $1 trillion Farm Bill under consideration is likely a budgetary mirage that is really deficit spending.

As you can see the Congressional Budget Office isn’t exactly the Farmer’s Almanac when it comes to predicting the cost of Farm Bills. After the dust settles, the last two Farm Bills will have exceeded their CBO score by more than $400 billion. There is no reason to believe this dismal track record will be improved.

Despite the fact that the policies in this bill will expire at the end of FY2017, more than half of the CBO projected savings will occur in the five years after expiration, when another Farm Bill will be law of the land.

The full House hasn’t even considered a Farm Bill. Amendments will not be allowed. Only in Washington can a more than 500 page, $1 trillion bill be called deficit reduction and slapped onto legislation to deal with the real budgetary challenges of sequestration and tax hikes.

Budget gimmicks and back room legislating is part of what got the country into this fiscal mess. Taxpayers deserve a simple and transparent solution to the fiscal cliff, not a bloated, over priced Farm Bill that writes a blank check from the Treasury to a sector experiencing its two most profitable years in a generation.

For more information please contact Joshua Sewell, Taxpayers for Common Sense at 202-546-8500 x116 or josh@taxpayer.net.

Sincerely,

American Commitment

Americans for Prosperity

Americans for Tax Reform

Competitive Enterprise Institute

Cost of Government Center

Council for Citizens Against Government Waste

FreedomWorks

National Taxpayers Union

R Street

Taxpayers for Common Sense

Taxpayers Protection Alliance