In the autumn of 2007 the European Commission was reported to be considering a proposal to limit subsidies to individual landowners and factory farms.

The Agriculture Department told Congress recently that efforts so far to limit subsidies to individuals "have only served to increase the reorganizations."

The Europeans wanted to limit indirect subsidies of American products to 4 percent of an airliner's development costs.

He said it was the first time that any country had agreed with any other country to limit domestic subsidies.

Throughout the angry Senate debate about whether to limit subsidies to wealthy farmers, lawmakers kept referring to "the Web site" to make their points.

President Bush signed the 2002 farm bill, which significantly increased payments to farmers, reversing six years of Republican efforts to limit subsidies.

A separate section of the agreement limits direct subsidies to 33 percent of an aircraft's development costs.

Washington has an agreement with the European Union that limits direct and indirect subsidies.

And past Congressional efforts to limit subsidies have been half-hearted and easily evaded.

He wants to limit subsidies to the rich for agriculture, Medicare, school lunches and student aid - programs dear to many Democratic politicians.