Agricultural News
AFR President Pleased with Farm Bill Now Rally, Disgusted with House Leadership
Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:35:43 CDT
Terry Detrick, president of American Farmers and Ranchers Insurance Company based in Oklahoma City, attended the Farm Bill Now rally in Washington, D.C., and said he came away from the event both encouraged and disgusted.
Detrick spoke with the Oklahoma Farm Report from the airport while waiting to return to Oklahoma after the rally.
He said he was impressed by the support shown by the almost 90 disparate groups that came together to support the passage of the 2012 Farm Bill. He said he was also encouraged by the number of Republican and Democrat lawmakers who worked on the bill who turned out at the rally as well. But, despite the support shown, Detrick said he is not optimistic the bill will make it to the House floor this year.
"It was just great to see unity," Detrick said. "It's too bad the rest of Congress can't get together like the farm groups have, and like the farm committees have. It's really, I guess, just disgusting that our United States Congress cannot act at a time when it is so urgently needed. It's simply because they're playing politics with this thing."
Detrick laid most of the blame squarely at the feet of House Speaker John Boehner.
He "was on the Ag Committee for about 16 years and never supported a farm bill. And now I think, as Speaker of the House, he doesn't want to bring it up. At this point I'll be surprised, the way things are looking. If he does, it will only be because of all the pressure we've put on him."
Detrick said the Speaker's inaction is a slap in the face to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas. He said Lucas has spearheaded an immense effort to put together a "good, bipartisan farm bill" and the House leadership's refusal to bring it up is unthinkable.
"I'm very disappointed in the attitudes and what I've seen on Capitol Hill this trip."
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear all of Detrick's comments.
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