The major issues influencing the 1990 farm bill will be the GATT talks, the question of flexibility, the environment, and, above all, the budget deficit. The budget outlook for 1990 will be much like the 1989 budget situation. One of the problems the budget situation presents is what effect it will have on the flexibility issue. The wild card in the 1990 farm bill debate is the GATT talks. The 1985 farm bill set a precedent of linking environmental regulations to farm legislation by requiring compliance of sodbuster and swampbuster regulations to eligibility for program benefits.