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Stabenow Kicks Off Senate Floor Debate on 2013 Farm Bill

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:40:22 CDT

Stabenow Kicks Off Senate Floor Debate on 2013 Farm Bill
The Senate today opened debate on S.954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) Chairwoman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry made the following opening remarks. (You can listen to her remarks by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story.)

Mr. President, I want to thank the Majority Leader, the Republican leader and all of our colleagues for allowing the Senate to move forward today on the Farm Bill.


I want to thank my ranking member, Senator Thad Cochran for his friendship and his leadership and I want to thank all of the members of our Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for working together to write this important legislation.


Our bill - the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act - is critical to the 16 million Americans whose jobs rely on a strong agricultural economy.


Agriculture has been one of the bright spots as our economy is getting back on track. In fact, it is one of the few areas where we actually have a trade surplus - where we are exporting more than we import. And those exports mean jobs and opportunities for growth all across America.


The Farm Bill is a jobs bill, Mr. President.


It's a jobs bill- it's a trade bill- it's a reform bill- it's a conservation bill- and it's a kitchen table bill-


Because thanks to the Farm Bill, families all across America will sit down around a table tonight and enjoy the bounty of the world's safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply.


And those who need temporary help to feed their families during an economic crisis will get help because this is a bill that reflects our best values as Americans.


It's easy to take agriculture for granted.


It's easy for many of us to forget that the food we eat doesn't just show up in supermarkets.


The food we eat comes from the skill and efforts of men and women who work hard, from sunrise to sunset, day in and day out, to put that food on our tables.


Too often, we take them for granted too. Most of us don't have to worry about how many days it's been since the last rainfall. Or whether or not it's going to freeze in May after the fruit trees are blooming.   


Most of us don't have to worry about decisions and weather conditions around the world and how it affects our livelihood.   


And that's why we have the Farm Bill.


We have a Farm Bill because farmers are in the riskiest business in the world. We saw that last year as our country was in the grip of the worst drought in generations.


We saw as ranchers had to cull their herds because they couldn't get enough food or water for their cattle.   


We saw, all across the country, as farmers lost their crops in late spring freezes that wiped out cherry and apple crops in Michigan and in other parts of the country.


And that's why the top goal of the Agriculture Reform bill is risk management. We are reforming farm programs - ending Direct Payments and other subsidies - and instead giving farmers market-based risk management tools.


We want to make sure that a farm that's been passed down for generations doesn't face bankruptcy because of a drought or other events outside the farmer's control.


We also want to make sure that when there is a drought, we are conserving our precious soil and water resources. When it comes to conservation, the Farm Bill is risk management for the whole country.   


Conservation programs in the Farm Bill make sure that our soil doesn't blow away and that our waters aren't polluted by runoff.


In many parts of the country last year, we had drought worse than the Dust Bowl. But we didn't have a dust bowl. We didn't have out-of-control erosion. That's because of the work that's been done in the Farm Bill around conservation.


It's easy to take that for granted as well. The Farm Bill is our country's largest investment in land and water conservation on private lands, and the Farm Bill gives farmers tools to strengthen wildlife habitats.


I'm pleased that the bill before us includes an historic new agreement between conservation groups and commodity groups around conservation and crop insurance.


These folks sat down together, listened to one other, and worked out an agreement that will preserve our water and land resources for generations to come.


The Farm Bill helps farmers improve 1.9 million acres of land for wildlife habitats. Healthy wildlife habitats and clean, fishable waters are not only good for our environment, but they also support hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation that benefits our economy and creates jobs.


In fact, outdoor recreation supports over 6 million jobs.


That's a big deal.


We also continue our support for specialty crops and organic agriculture. We expand farmers markets and local food hubs to encourage schools and businesses to support local farmers by purchasing locally grown food.    And we expand the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in schools and community food programs.


We also strengthen rural development financing for small businesses and infrastructure investments and expand the Energy Title to encourage support for new jobs in bio based manufacturing.


So there's no doubt that the Farm Bill is a jobs bill.


This bill also continues to focus on the issue that has taken so much of our time in the Senate already this year - cutting the deficit and getting our nation's fiscal house in order.


We get rid of unnecessary subsidies, like the Direct Payments program that sends a check out to people regardless of whether they're even farming a crop. We are streamlining programs to cut red tape, cracking down on fraud and abuse, and eliminating more than 100 unnecessary programs and authorizations.


And altogether, including the cuts that took effect already this year, we are able to cut spending by $24 billion.


That's more than double the cuts proposed by the Simpson-Bowles Commission, and more than double what was proposed by the Gang of Six.   



And 4 times more than is required by the sequestration cuts.


This bill represents the most significant reform of American agriculture in decades.   


We are putting in caps on payments to farmers, we're closing loopholes that allowed people who weren't actually farming to receive payments, and we're strengthening crop insurance so farmers can go to an agent and buy insurance to protect their crops from bad weather or market swings.


The Agriculture Reform bill includes disaster assistance for ranchers and farmers hit so hard last year; and it includes disaster assistance for families who have been hit hard by the economy.


We made sure our food assistance programs are accountable by cracking down on abuses and misuse.


And, we made sure that our changes would not remove one single needy family from the program.


Last year, we in the Senate passed a Farm Bill with strong, bipartisan support.


We didn't take the 16 million Americans who work in agriculture for granted.


We didn't take our land, forests and water resources for granted. And we stood up for families all across this country who have fallen on hard times.


Unfortunately, the House of Representatives didn't follow our lead last year. They allowed the Farm Bill to expire at the end of last year, which is why we are here again today.


I appreciate the way we've gotten to this point in a bipartisan way. I want to thank again my colleague from Mississippi, Senator Cochran, who is the Ranking Member of our Committee.


I look forward to working with colleagues to pass this bill as soon as we can.


Thank you, Mr. President.


   
   

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