Agricultural News
Stabenow Guardedly Optimistic About Chances for Farm Bill Passage in Senate
Wed, 15 May 2013 18:05:25 CDT
Debbie Stabenow, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke today in front of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters gathered in Washington, D.C. She spoke about the passage of the bill out of her committee, her hopes for its quick passage on the floor. She then took questions from reporters and explained how she sees the bill progressing through the Senate. (Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays participated in the news conference and you can hear the full report by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story.)
"The most significant thing I can say is that farmers need a five-year farm bill. They need economic certainty. Sixteen million people work in this country because of agriculture. This is the biggest jobs bill we will pass in any Congress. So, it's time to get it done and it's my hope between the farm bill, which we are going to immediately take up on the floor, and then we will be taking up immigration, that this will really be the positive 'one-two punch' for producers."
She said the bill produced by the Senate Agriculture Committee takes into account the interests of all farmer, regardless of the region the live in or the crop that they are growing.
"I think we have really produced what I think my friends down the hall should just take as a commodity title because it is a market-oriented approach. We do recognize that rice and peanuts specifically do not have access to crop insurance. And, so, on the one hand we eliminate subsidies. We have payment reforms and changes that are important for taxpayers. We focus on crop insurance, but, particularly for our Southern growers that don't have access to crop insurance, we do give them an option that works for them. And whether it's yield loss through the ARC program or price concerns through our new AMP program, we've put I place, what I believe, are enough tools to support all of agriculture."
Stabenow said there are some differences in how the Senate and House approach the implementation of farm programs.
"What's different from down the hall is that we don't force folks at the beginning to choose which of the programs to go into and, I believe, is what the House will do. What we say is, no farmer year to year knows what is going to happen and so we want to make tools available and the farmer can use whichever one works for them given their situation."
There will be differences between the House and Senate bills in how cuts are to be made to the nutrition title, and reconciling the two will be tough, Stabenow said. She said the Senate bill starts by including the sequester cuts then adds additional cuts on top to realize savings near the target set in the House bill. In regard to the SNAP program, Stabenow said the Senate bill will attempt to reduce waste, fraud and abuse to reach targeted savings.
"What we haven't done is say 'If you are someone who has worked hard all your life and paid taxes and suddenly lost your job and are having trouble putting food on your table for your family, that we're arbitrarily going to decide that for the first time our country's not going to help you.' "
Stabenow said Senate leadership has assured her the bill will not languish and, in fact, has put it on the fast track. She said the farm bill will come to the floor for immediate consideration following action on the Water Resources Development Act which was expected to be completed today.
She said the biggest consideration she will have to deal with in getting the bill passed by the full Senate will be the nutrition title. She speculated that amendments could also be offered to the commodity title removing the AMP program and attempting to cut funding for crop insurance.
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