Farm Bill Budget and Costs: 2002 vs. 2007. CRS Report for Congress (Updated January 29, 2008)

摘要

Since many provisions of the current omnibus farm bill (P.L. 107-171, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002) expire soon, the 110th Congress is in the process of considering a new farm bill. Unlike the 2002 farm bill, which was crafted at a time of large budget surpluses, the current farm bill debate is being driven in part by relatively large budget deficits and growing demands for fiscal constraint. Questions frequently asked about farm bill spending are: What is the estimated cost of the expiring 2002 farm bill. How much more or less has actually been spent on the 2002 farm bill than what was estimated at the time of enactment. What is the estimated cost of the House- and Senate-passed versions of the 2007 farm bill (H.R. 2419). This report answers these questions in terms of the actual expenditures on current major farm bill programs, and projections of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for spending under current law and in the House- and Senate-passed 2007 farm bills.