John Block Reports from Washington

Don't you just love it? The President enjoying his ranch. Never mind that it is 98 degrees in the shade. Listen to the national press corps whining about the heat, longing for the good old days on the ocean beach at Martha's Vineyard. Get used to it. It's your punishment.

The President signed the 5.5 billion dollar supplemental farm legislation on his Texas ranch last week. A fitting place. The Senate bill was bigger... 7.5 billion dollars. Let's be honest. The 5.5 billion is generous. The President could not afford to bust the budget with the higher number. That would open the floodgates for everybody's pork barrel projects later this fall when all of the departmental appropriations bills are approved.

Can the President hold the line? If he cannot, our tax cut, which is not permanent yet, will be at risk. Liberals will argue that there isn't enough money for the cut. They want to spend the money. They don't want you to have it.

The next logical question is, "What will the new farm bill look like?" The House Ag Committee has approved a bill, and the unusual thing about the bill is it is for 10 years. That provides certainly a kind of guaranteed support for farmers.

If the final bill looks like the one just passed, that should put a floor under farmland values. The legislature institutionalizes support for farmers. The bill is telling farmers, "Ifyou don't get the money out of the market place, we will be there for you." One big questions mark. The plan may not be acceptable by W.T.O. rules.

The Senate bill, yet to be written, will likely put more emphasis on conservation and rural development. The two bills will have to be reconciled. It's going to be interesting. Stay tuned. Until next week, I am John Block from Washington.