23 Members of Congress Receive Farm Subsidies
Whether it’s $30 billion, $60 billion or $100 billion, slashing the federal budget means cutting back on a lot of programs. But farm subsidies are not facing the axe, and having nearly two dozen lawmakers receiving such financial support may have something to do with it.
The Environmental Working Group has determined that at least 23 representatives and senators, or their family members, applied for farm subsidy payments between 1995 and 2009. Seventeen were Republicans and six belonged to the Democratic Party, with the GOP taking in more than $5.3 million, compared to only $489,856 for Democrats.
The biggest beneficiaries of farm subsidies in the current Congress have been:
· Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tennessee) $3,368,843
· Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Missouri) $469,292
· Rep. Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) $443,748
· Sen. John Tester (D-Montana) $442,303
· Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) $330,046
Fincher, Hartzler, Noem and Tester are all first-term members of Congress.
http://www.allgov.com/Where_is_the_Money_Going/ViewNews/23_Members_of_Congress_Receive_Farm_Subsidies_110403