WASHINGTON ---- Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, made it clear Thursday the floor debate might be a free-for-all.

For instance, any deals that were made in committee to move the farm bill forward go out the window.

"People are free to go what they want to on the floor," Harkin said.

The Senate Agriculture Committee wrapped up the farm bill Thursday and will now gear up for a floor debate likely sometime in the next two weeks.

Harkin thinks that overall the farm bill is going to have pretty good support on the floor. One thing he doesn't want is to see that support clouded through something like the AgJobs immigration amendment being attached to the bill.

"I'm opposed to do any amendments on this bill dealing with immigration," Harkin said.

Amendments such as the one offered by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to trim direct payments and shift the money to nutrition may find more support. Harkin said supporters of increased spending for nutrition, conservation and rural development will push for more money.

"There will be efforts on the floor to increase those," Harkin said.

Harkin, a critic of direct payments, nonetheless voted in committee against Lugar's proposal to cut direct payments 8 percent and use that money to prop up food stamps and other programs. Harkin said there were agreements made to get the farm bill through committee and he kept his word to do so. On the floor, anything is open game.

Harkin also offered that the Finance Committee package, which will be attached to the Agriculture bill, could come under attack for money as well. Harkin didn't have anything to do with the $5 billion permanent disaster assistance proposal in the Finance package. Harkin put the thought out there that once on the floor that money could be raided.

"The bulk of the money is going to go to a handful of states," Harkin said. "I know people are going to look at that and say why should we do that? We should do something else with that money."

Harkin said his priority will be to continue working on the Average Crop Revenue plan.

"I want to make sure this ACR program works," he said.

One more priority for Harkin beyond the floor will be to protect funding for the new Conservation Stewardship Program --- the old Conservation Security Program --- that Harkin has worked to protect. He vowed to keep the new CSP when conferencing with the House that didn't fund any part of Harkin's conservation program.

"If they want a farm bill we are going to have that CSP program in there," he said.