The Washington D.C.-based National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition issued its second sharply-worded news release in a week denouncing the freezes, some of which target conservation programs the administration promised last month would not be affected.

The plight of U.S. farmers -- who are facing low crop prices, high input cost and interest rates, and consecutive natural disasters – is clearly on the minds of the Senate members, as is the current $45 billion agricultural trade deficit and failure by Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill last year.