Senate expected to send farm bill to Bush

WASHINGTON — The House passed a $290 billion food and farm bill on Wednesday with a safe enough margin to withstand the expected veto from President Bush. The Senate votes today.

The House vote was 318-106; all five Oklahoma members of the House voted for it.

The five-year bill will mean slightly lower guaranteed annual payments to thousands of Oklahoma producers of wheat, corn, cotton and other crops. But more people in the state will be eligible for food stamps and those already receiving them will get more aid.

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, one of the senior members of the House Agriculture Committee, supported the legislation begrudgingly because, he said, farm groups in Oklahoma had encouraged him to vote for it.

Critics of the bill said it continued Depression-era subsidies at a time when farmers are reaping the benefits of high commodity prices and consumers are paying more at the grocery store. Bush has vowed to veto the bill because he considers it short of reforms. But supporters said there were substantial reforms, including lower income caps for those who can receive subsidies and the elimination of a rule that allowed farmers to form three separate entities to collect payments.

Contributing: Associated Press