Grassley: “Farmers aren’t looking for a handout… but need assistance”

From Sen. Chuck Grassley –

Mr. President,

I come to the floor today to talk about the Farm and Nutrition bill.  If we can get this bill completed and to the President’s desk, it will be the eighth farm bill I have voted on.

Every five years or so, Congress debates, changes, argues over, and ultimately passes a Farm and Nutrition bill.  This time should be no different, we need to get it done.  I understand there are folks who want to see more cuts here or there; and there are folks who want to spend more here or there.

These are important discussions to have, and we should have a healthy debate on how to tweak, reform or reshape the policies in the bill.  Whether it’s in regard to programs affecting farmers or the portion of the bill that receives the overwhelming share of the dollars, the nutrition title.  In fact, I’m more than happy to debate with some of my friends on the House Agriculture Committee why setting high target prices is the wrong direction for Congress to take, and how the House should adopt the payment limits reforms the Senate has embraced.

I’m sure many on the House Agriculture Committee would be more than happy to debate the merits of having a more balanced approach to where we find savings in this bill, by taking an equal portion from the nutrition title and the farm related titles.  We should find more savings than what’s contained in the Senate passed farm bill, including saving more out of the nutrition title.

But the fact is we have to keep moving the ball forward.  The drought that has gripped this nation has been tough on many Americans, but it’s drawn into focus just how important our farmers are to our food supply.  Americans enjoy a safe and abundant food supply.  This is because of the hard work and dedication of so many farming families throughout this country.  Sometimes, weather conditions, or other events outside of farmers’ control can make it difficult to keep farming.

Farmers aren’t looking for a handout, but when faced with conditions such as a near historic drought, many farmers need assistance to get through.  Men and women go into farming for all sorts of reasons, but at the heart of farming is a desire to produce a crop to help feed this nation and world.  Farmers have many tools to manage their risks so they can keep producing food.  They have adopted technology, such as drought resistant crops, they buy crop insurance.  Livestock farmers help animals manage heat by building climate controlled barns.

But when faced with weather conditions such as what we are currently dealing with, even the best laid plans may not keep the farming operation afloat.  That’s where the federal government comes in:  we help provide the safety-net.  Why do we provide this safety-net?  We do because the American people understand just how important these farmers are to our food supply.  It’s a matter of national security.

It’s been said, we are only nine meals away from a revolution.  If people were without food, they would do whatever it takes to get food for themselves and their families.  The need for food can also be illustrated by looking at military history, as Napoleon said an army marches on its stomachs.  A well-fed army is one ready to fight and defend.

There is nothing more basic than making sure our nation’s food supply is secure. In order to have stability in our food system, we need to have the safety net available to assist farmers through the tough times, so they can keep producing food.

I have not always agreed with the policies set in each and every farm bill Congress has passed.  In fact, there have been times in which I voted against individual farm bills because I didn’t agree with the policy being set.  However, I support to a large extent what we accomplished in the Senate passed farm bill last month.  I didn’t agree with everything, particularly in the lack of savings we captured from the nutrition title, but for the most part we passed a bill that embraced real reform in the farm program, that still provides an effective safety-net for farmers.

We should not delay any longer.  The farm bill is too important to all Americans to leave it in limbo.  We need to get it passed.