Rather than taxing millionaires, the first thing we ought to do is quit giving them subsidies. -- Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, Senate floor

From Eric Dondero:

It still has to pass the House, and gain the President's signature, but a major item on the Libertarian wish list has just passed the Senate.

From WaPo, "Senate votes for GOP provision ending direct payments to farmers with incomes exceeding $1m" Oct. 21:

The Senate has voted to end direct payments to farmers whose annual incomes exceed $1million.

The 84-15 vote approving the provision by Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn came as the Senate worked into the early morning hours Friday on a vast spending bill.

Coburn argued that the government shouldn’t be subsidizing the highest earning farmers at a time of deep budget deficits. The leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee, who opposed Coburn, are working on legislation that could eliminate the entire $5 billion-a-year direct payment program for farmers.

From FarmPolicy.com:

“Coburn argued forcefully to his colleagues, who were seated at their desks for the series of rapid-fire votes, that such payments from a government that is running in the red were preposterous.

‘We had 2,705 people in this country who had adjusted gross incomes in excess of $2.5 million last year who got farm payments,’ said Coburn.

The primary opposition to Coburn's legislation came from Michigan Democrat Senator and Chair of the Senate Agricultural Comm. Debbie Stabenow.