U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, took aim Tuesday at the Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan's new budget blueprint, which he says will leave Minnesota farmers "high and dry." "The process outlined by the House Republican budget all but guarantees there will be no farm bill this year," said Peterson, in his 22nd year in Congress and the dean of the Minnesota congressional delegation. Peterson, a centrist "Blue Dog" Democrat, has long thrived in a Republican-leaning district because of his rural roots and deep ties to farming. While he often strikes out positions as a budget hawk, he joined the Democrats' onslaught on the new Ryan budget for 2013, a reprise of the budget plan passed last year by the GOP-led House. "The Ryan budget proposes significant cuts in the farm safety net and conservation programs, and slashes spending on nutrition programs that provide food for millions of Americans," Peterson said. "It is appalling that in an attempt to avoid defense cuts the Republican leadership has elected to leave farmers and hungry families hurting." For Peterson, it's a rare partisan swipe – growing out of a committee that usually emphasizes farm interests over partisan wrangling. "We need to get our spending under control and agriculture has shown that we can do our part, but all other sectors of our economy need to do so as well," Peterson said. "To do otherwise is irresponsible."
