Changing Course: Why Congress Should Consider a New Direction for U.S. Agriculture Policy

In 1996 Congress passed the Freedom to Farm Act, which put our country on a new path toward fewer subsidies and less reliance on market-distorting price support programs. In 2002 Congress abruptly and dramatically shifted course in the wrong direction with the enactment of the 2002 farm bill. This legislation formalized the significantly increased "emergency" spending of the previous two years with a massive expansion of the cost and scope of agriculture programs. As Congress prepares to craft a new farm bill in 2007, Rep. Jeff Flake and Sallie James will discuss why it is time to overhaul U.S. agriculture policy once again.