All six senators from Idaho, Washington and Oregon on Thursday voted with the majority in favor of the five-year, $290 billion Farm Bill that boosts farm subsidies and money for food stamps to help the poor deal with rising grocery prices.

The bill also includes $170 million for the disaster-plagued Pacific Coast salmon fishing industry. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the bill, as it would provide security for farm families, enhance food security, enable environmental improvements, and expand energy opportunities.

US Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) comments

The tax title of the legislation includes language from Crapo’s Endangered Species Recovery Act that establishes a tax deduction for the cost of actions to implement site-specific management measures included in recovery plans under the ESA.

The Senate’s 81-15 vote comes a day after the House approved the measure 318-106. The bill now heads to President Bush. Bush has threatened to veto the bill, calling it overly expensive and tilted to wealthy farmers, but both chambers have more than the two-thirds majority to override his veto.

Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Agriculture and Finance Committees, is encouraged that Farm Bill negotiators have presented a Farm Bill conference agreement that includes a permanent tax deduction for Endangered Species Act expenditures.

Crapo has introduced legislation seeking tax credits for landowners who volunteer to protect endangered species on their private property and said he will continue to seek credits for participation in ESA programs.

US Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) comments

Initial reports on provisions in the agreement include an increase of more than $4 billion for Farm Bill conservation programs; continued support for farm families and more than $1 billion through a new Specialty Crops Title for programs important to specialty crop producers; a more than $10 billion increase in funding for nutrition programs, including a broad expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program that Crapo worked to extend to Idaho students; and the establishment of a cellulosic biofuels credit, and other programs to increase biofuels production.