Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Hillary Criticizes President Bush for Vetoing Farm Bill

"Just in case we needed more evidence for how out of touch the Bush-McCain vision for America is, today President Bush vetoed the most important piece of legislation for rural America. This bill would move us further down the path to energy independence, provide a safety net for family farmers, enhance nutrition programs, require Country-of-Origin labeling, and improve access to broadband in rural communities," said Senator Clinton. "Americans will have a real choice this fall - between a candidate who supports rural America and family farms and John McCain, who sides with President Bush in opposing this critical legislative priority."

Senator Clinton worked to include several provisions in the bill. She fought for Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for meat and produce in the United States; helped develop legislation that was the basis for the Healthy Food Enterprise Development (HFED) program, an initiative to bring healthier food to new markets and underserved parts of the country; worked to expand the Community Food Grants Program to $50 million; and helped push for a commission to create and implement a Comprehensive Rural Broadband Strategy, an idea Senator Clinton proposed as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative Act.