I rec'd the following info by email from Sen. Tom Coburn:

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Thursday, November 8, 2007

The Senate over the next few days will consider reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which expired September 30. It's important we take this time to debate our nation’s current farm policy, which I believe is flawed. It's imperative our new federal farm policy must curtail the massive bureaucracy at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The agency has grown too large and would rank as the sixth largest company in America, if it was a private entity. Meanwhile, the USDA is home to much waste and unnecessary spending, making the job of farmers even more difficult.

Examples of USDA waste include:

More than $4.6 billion in improper payments;

More than $90 million spent on conference travel expenses in 2006 alone; (Click here to read about the Coburn amendment addressing this issue.)

Nearly 100,000 employees, including 11,000 in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area;

USDA made $1.1 billion in payments to deceased farmers; (Click here to read about the Coburn amendment addressing this problem.)

$7.48 billion in unspent money in 2007.

As farmers and ranchers across Oklahoma and the Midwest recover from record droughts, floods and fires, it's imperative the Farm Bill focus on core farm and ranch needs which allow the American farmer to do what they do best: farm. These principles include reducing burdensome federal regulation, decreasing the time farmers must spend on paperwork, encouraging innovation and allowing farmers to determine production levels and schedules, rather than the federal government.

Dr. Coburn's has offered several amendments to the Farm Bill addressing the wasteful and unnecessary spending at USDA as well as adding needed transparency and accountability to the agency. Click here to read more about the amendments which Dr. Coburn has offered.