Although the Bush administration has objected to the bill, saying it was too expensive, and the White House gives the farm legislation poor chances to be signed by the president, farm bill negotiators say they have reached a tentative agreement on the legislation and it will be considered next week by the House and Senate.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin said that the negotiations are over and that some minor issues remain to be solved.

According to The Associated Press, Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the agreement would eliminate some government payments to individuals who make more than $750,000 in farm income annually, which would be closer to the White House's proposal on limiting subsidies. Those who make more than $500,000 in non-farm income would also be ineligible for subsidies.

The initial proposal made by the Bush administration was of $200,000 in annual gross income, but the limit was set at $500,000.

While lawmakers tried to becalm Bush, his administration worked to rally conservatives who oppose the bill.

Grover Norquist, president of the anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform, said an administration official criticized the bill at a breakfast attended by conservatives on Wednesday morning.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino expresses Bush’s concern that negotiators didn’t manage to get close enough on his position on the bill.

“But members of Congress have continued to work on it, and if they can get there, the president would sign it. But it seems unlikely, and therefore the president would call on them to pass a one-year extension if they can’t get to a point where they would pass a bill that he could sign, said Perino.

The bill would expand subsidies for several crops and increase loan rates for sugar producers and provide more dollars for renewable energy and conservation programs to help protect environmentally sensitive farm land.