By Robert Pore
robert.pore@theindependent.com

"You could see this thing go through the whole year and wait for a new administration, new president and new Congress," Hagel said during a teleconference with state reporters Thursday.

Hagel also said further extensions could be possible throughout the year as House and Senate conferees battle with the White House about proposed spending in the Farm Bill.

"I would be quite surprised if you could get a Farm Bill passed and signed into law in the next 30 days," Hagel said.

Congress will go on a two-week Easter break at the end of the week.

"We will only have a couple of weeks to deal with this, and it's quite likely that we will extend it again," Hagel said.

Nebraska Farm Bureau expressed frustration with congressional failure to pass a new Farm Bill.

"Everybody's locked in on their heels. There's no strong desire for compromise between the White House and Congress, and, of course, it all boils down to money," said Rob Robertson, Farm Bureau vice president/governmental relations. "Farmers don't care about the politics, all the budget gimmicks. They just care about getting a Farm Bill."

If Congress does not act soon, Robertson said, the Farm Bill could "lay in limbo like every other policy item that's on the table during a presidential election year, so that nothing happens until a new president is in office."

U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said the 2002 Farm Bill was set to expire in September 2007.

"While I'm glad we were able to avoid the expiration of the Farm Bill which would have reverted us back to policies from the 1940s I remain frustrated with the fact agriculture producers in my district and throughout the country are still facing weeks of uncertainty as we continue to work through the Farm Bill," Smith said.

He said the extension was "exactly the type of piecemeal approach I didn't want to see."

"Which is why I co-sponsored legislation extending the Farm Bill for an entire year, rather than a few weeks at a time," Smith said. "I still am committed to seeing a workable, responsible Farm Bill signed into law, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to see this happen."

Robertson said putting the Farm Bill in perpetual limbo would be "very bad news for agriculture," especially with the current state of the economy.

"It would be much more difficult to get an adequate safety net for farmers and ranchers," he said. "If we think the budget challenges are huge now, they will be tremendous in a year or two."

National Farmers Union President Tom Buis said it was disappointing that all sides of the Farm Bill debate could not come together in time to reach the March 15 expiration date.

"There has been more than enough time to finish a new Farm Bill," Buis said. "The House passed a Farm Bill in July and the Senate in December. It's time for negotiators to get down to business and work out an agreement so a new Farm Bill can be signed into law."

Buis said not only are farmers and ranchers losing patience with planting season less than a month away. Other vital Farm Bill constituencies including nutrition, conservation, rural development and renewable fuels are also affected by the uncertainty of not enacting a new Farm Bill.

"This new deadline provides yet another window of opportunity for an agreement to be reached to successfully conclude a new Farm Bill," Buis said. "It is past due."