Farm programs to get more money.

Federal agricultural programs could see extraordinary growth next year, despite the fact that the country is broke. The House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture passed a $124 billion spending bill for 2010, an increase of 14 percent over the 2009 budget. Republicans on the subcommittee were dumfounded by the Democrats' budget. The increase "is out of touch with our current fiscal reality," said ranking Republican member Jerry Lewis. "Many of these programs are important and should be funded at reasonable levels, but they simply do not warrant these huge spending increases paid for with borrowed money." Republicans on the subcommittee offered a budget alterative that held spending to a 2 percent increase--or about the rate of inflation. But it was voted down on party lines.

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