TIMELINE: Two years of work on farm bill

(Reuters) - Congress spent more than two years in developing the $289 billion, five-year U.S. farm bill that is promised a presidential veto.

The House and Senate can override a veto if each chamber calls a new vote on the bill and passes it by a two-thirds majority.

Here are milestones in development of the farm bill:

2005

July 7 - in Nashville, Agriculture Department holds first of 52 farm bill forums scheduled around the country to gather grass-roots ideas for the bill.

2006

February 6 - House Agriculture Committee holds, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, first field hearing on farm bill.

June 23 - Senate Agriculture Committee begins regional hearings on farm bill.

2007

January 31 - USDA releases 183-page book of proposals for farm bill.

March 21 - House Agriculture subcommittee holds first "mark up" session in Congress to draft language for the farm bill.

July 17-19 - House Agriculture Committee debates and approves farm bill.

July 26-27 - House debates and passes $286 billion, five-year farm bill, 231-191.

October 4 - Senate Finance Committee approves tax package that pays for an ever-ready disaster relief program for farmers and helps pay for land stewardship work.

October 24-25 - Senate Agriculture Committee debates and approves its five-year, $286 billion bill.

November 5 - Senate begins debate of farm bill and quickly is gridlocked by an argument over which amendments to consider.