ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman will hold a press conference Monday in Willmar to discuss the recently-passed farm bill.
The bill, having passed the House by a 318-106 vote Wed-nesday, may be headed for a veto from President Bush, who has called the $290 billion, five-year leg-islation bloated for not including reforms the administration had sought. The bill passed both houses with enough votes to override a presidential veto.
In a press conference Thursday, Coleman, R-Minn., called the bill a tremendous victory for Minnesota, at a time when folks are worried about food prices."
Coleman and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., both expressed satisfaction that their provisions made the final bill, which allots $1 billion to biofuels research and incentives.
The bill also changes eligibility requirements for commodity payments to farmers, increases funding for nutrition programs, food stamps and domestic food aid by more than $10 billion over 10 years, reduces the per-gallon ethanol tax credit for refiners from 51 to 45 cents and requires country-of-origin labeling for meats and other fresh foods
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Coleman will discuss the bill from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Services Building Conference Center at Ridgewater College.
