House, Senate to Take Up Farm Bill Soon

Posted May 21, 2008 at 1:50pm

Eager to hand President Bush the second veto override of his tenure, House and Senate leaders are moving quickly Wednesday to hold votes to force the farm bill into law.

As promised, the president officially vetoed the farm bill Wednesday morning over its cost and what the White House considers a lack of meaningful agricultural reforms in the measure.

House leaders are lining up a short debate, followed by an override vote, beginning at about 4 p.m. Wednesday. Senate leaders are still working out a unanimous consent agreement to proceed to debate on the bill, but they are eyeing Wednesday night, too.

The five-year, nearly $300 billion bill sailed through both chambers last week by margins well above the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. The House tally was 318-106; the Senate vote was 81-15.