(Washington, D.C.) – Thomas A. Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), sent the following letter to President Bill Clinton today urging veto of the FY 2001 Agriculture Appropriations bill.

October 23, 2000

President William Jefferson Clinton

The White House

Washington, DC  20500

Dear Mr. President,

               On behalf of the one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to veto H.R. 4461, the FY 2001 Agriculture Appropriations Act.

               First, this bill is overladen with pork-barrel spending, and for that reason alone should be vetoed.  But even if those objectionable provisions in the bill were removed, along with the elimination of various unjustified increased farm subsidies, there is an anti-trade provision that would still call out for your veto.

               In violation of World Trade Organization rules, the legislation takes millions of dollars of anti-dumping penalties assessed against foreign companies, which now go into the U.S. treasury, and turns them over to private industry.  The possibility of monetary compensation provides a much stronger incentive to file antidumping cases, launching actions of questionable merit that might not be brought under current law.  It also undermines the credibility of U.S. negotiators in future trade talks.

               CCAGW understands that this outrageous provision is actually a back-door subsidy for the big steel industry, for which existing subsidies already cost U.S. taxpayers and consumers more than $3 billion annually.

               Please consider the best interest of all citizens, including taxpayers and consumers, when you decide whether to sign or veto this legislation.  CCAGW believes that the principled decision would result in a veto.

                                                                                                         Sincerely,

                                                                                                         [signed]

                                                                                                        Tom Schatz

              CCAGW is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.