These initiatives Sen. Harkin fought to include in the farm bill as chairman, however, remain under attack both from the Bush administration and this year's congressional budget cuts.

Since 1998 Sen. Harkin has secured a total of $116 million for the initiative, the first of its kind in the nation, to repair, modernize and build new schools.

The current federal regulations limiting junk food is very narrow.

He also doubled the amount of money available to rural communities for grants to help them find new ways to add value and market products created on farms and small?town businesses.

It is hard to write the perfect farm bill.

there are pieces of the bill he [Clinton] doesn't like, that's why we're going to have a conference, Chairman Archer will be there, making a passionate argument. I'm sure that [Treasury] Secretary [Robert] Rubin will be there making some convoluted and complex idea that none of us will understand, but it will be an interesting negotiation, and I look forward to Bill [Archer] being successful. Then at the end of the day, I think the president will sign the bill.