U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

NEWS FROM
THE VERMONT CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION 

Senate Panel Votes To Extend MILC Program 

WASHINGTON (Tuesday, Sept. 21) -- The Senate Appropriations Committee late Tuesday approved a two-year extension of the program that protects dairy farmers from depressed prices for the milk they produce, modeled on the benefits of the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact.  This extension includes major enhancements that will increase benefits to family farmers. 

The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisc., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was approved in a strong bipartisan vote of 17 to 5 and is supported by Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., and Rep. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.  The legislation goes next to the Senate Floor.

The Milk Income Compensation Loss Program (MILC), which the members of the Vermont Congressional Delegation – Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Jim Jeffords and Rep. Bernie Sanders – had led in including in the Farm Bill of 2002, is due to expire a year from now, September 2005.    

The Kohl-Leahy Amendment would extend the MILC program for another two years, or until the reauthorization of the 2007 Farm Bill.  In addition to extending the program, which has delivered more than $45 million to Vermont farmers, the amendment would raise the decade-old trigger price of $16.94 – the same as under the Compact -- to $17.10.  The amendment also would remove a restriction that has hurt multi-generational family farms.  The program enhancements were the result of exhaustive negotiations involving the Vermont Delegation to increase benefits for Vermont farmers.   

“We’ve successfully moved the MILC extension out of the shop and onto the track,” said Leahy.  “We still have several challenges ahead of us, but this was the most difficult one.” 

“Once again, I salute Senator Leahy and others for their hard work in helping our dairy farmers,” said Jeffords.  “This is a good start, and we are united in the fight to assure that farmers continue to get a fair price for their milk.” 

“Today’s approval of a greatly enhanced MILC program is a major step forward in ensuring that family dairy farmers in Vermont and across the country have a strong safety net,” said Sanders.  “The improvements we were able to negotiate will make this a much better program for farmers in Vermont and the Northeast.”

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