Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Hillary Hails Passage Of The Farm Bill, Criticizes Senator McCain For Saying He Would Veto It

This morning the Senate passed the Farm Bill by an overwhelming vote of 81 to 15.

"By passing this bill, we have achieved an important step forward for farmers and consumers. This bill moves us further down the path to energy independence, provides a safety net for family farmers, enhances nutrition programs, requires Country-of-Origin labeling, and improves access to broadband in rural communities," said Senator Clinton. "Americans will have a real choice this fall - between a candidate who supports rural America and family farms and John McCain, who has threatened to veto this critical legislative priority," she said "I urge President Bush to sign this important legislation so that farmers, ranchers, and those who depend on nutrition programs will get the support that they deserve."

Senator Clinton worked to include several provisions in the bill. She fought for Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for meat and produce in the United States; helped develop legislation that was the basis for the Healthy Food Enterprise Development (HFED) program, an initiative to bring healthier food to new markets and underserved parts of the country; worked to expand the Community Food Grants Program to $50 million; and helped push for a commission to create and implement a Comprehensive Rural Broadband Strategy, an idea Senator Clinton proposed as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative Act.