Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 900, providing for further consideration of a very important piece of legislation for America's farmers and ranchers: H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act, commonly referred to as the farm bill. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2 under a structured rule, allowing for consideration of 31 amendments that were offered.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I traveled to every county in my district for one reason: to listen, to hear, and to get the input and the concerns from farmers, ranchers and producers across central Washington State. I traveled to Pateros, where my constituents discussed the vital need for strengthening market access and opening new sources for exporting across the globe.

I visited with farmers from East Wenatchee in Douglas County who discussed the importance of commodity sourcing and stressed the need for stronger education for the public about farming and where the food that lands on our tables comes from.

I heard from constituents in Prosser and Benton and Yakima Counties who stressed the importance of agricultural research from producers in Quincy, who shared their personal stories of the impacts of crop insurance on their livelihoods, and from farmers in Othello who raised concerns regarding regulatory burdens on the agricultural community.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to say that this farm bill makes great strides in addressing these challenges that face America's farmers. The rule we bring before the House provides for further consideration of the underlying legislation, H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act, a bill that is critically important to my district in central Washington and to rural districts just like it across the country.

As a farmer myself and as a former State agricultural director, I know how important these farm policies are when it comes to our agricultural economy. This farm bill strengthens the farm safety net to help America's farmers and ranchers compete.

After 5 years of depressed prices, and a 52 percent drop in farm income, our farmers need us--they need Congress--to reauthorize these important programs.

Mr. Speaker, while American farmers have faced these depressed prices and severe drops in farm income, we, luckily, have a robust safety net in place. Due to the previous 2014 farm bill, our agriculture community was able to hold on and continue to provide American consumers with food in our grocery stores, in our schools, and in our food banks.

It is incumbent upon us to ensure these policies continue. We must pass this farm bill and ensure a steady food supply will be on the shelves and in our markets for the years to come.

The underlying legislation includes the creation of a new international market program, which I would argue is more important today than ever before. Programs within it, including the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Program, are incredibly important to producers seeking to maintain and expand their export markets for U.S. agricultural products and commodities. The Market Access Program, on its own, is a net positive program, which for every $1 spent, $28 is returned to the American economy.

I know these critical trade and export resources are at the top of the minds of American farmers and producers across the country, and we must continue to ensure their availability and access for the agricultural industry.

This bill also maintains and strengthens the Nation's nutrition programs to assist those who struggle to put food on the table, while providing critical training to help people attain the skills necessary to gain good-paying jobs, financial self-sufficiency, and better futures for themselves and their families. It supports the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, without any cuts in funding. Instead, this bill adds further funding and empowers States with the flexibility on how to best administer their respective programs.

The State of Washington has done innovative work in their administration of SNAP through the BFET and the RISE programs to help some of the most vulnerable populations, and I am pleased that this farm bill will allow these programs to continue if the State so chooses.

This legislation contains employment and education provisions for those who need a hand up due to falling on hard times.

Mr. Speaker, the farm bill contains comprehensive approaches to farm policy, nutrition, trade, conservation, crop insurance, regulatory reform, rural development, animal health, specialty and organic crops, and provisions to help beginning farmers and ranchers.

This rule provides for further consideration of amendments offered by our colleagues in the House on a great variety of these issues. I look forward to listening to the robust debate on potential provisions to strengthen this legislation.

As this is the first farm bill I have had the opportunity to engage in since being in Congress, I welcome input from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and from every perspective. We must continue to bring forward solutions for America's farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and families.

Mr. Speaker, this body, the people's House, is made up of many walks of life. We have physicians. We have attorneys. We have ordained ministers. We have engineers, school administrators, former State and local government officials, scientists, and law enforcement officials. Today, I am proud to come before you as a farmer. I am not the only one.

There are maybe about 20 farmers, ranchers, and producers in the House, in the people's House. Among us are an almond farmer from central California, a blueberry farmer from the State of Maine, a rancher from South Dakota, a cattleman from Kentucky, a rice farmer from Minnesota, and, yes, a proud hops farmer from the Yakima Valley from the State of Washington.

I am privileged to come before you in support of this rule and the underlying legislation, H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act. I humbly urge my colleagues to support the rule, support the bill, and strengthen the future for America's farmers and all of those who depend on them.

Mr. Speaker, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Mr. Conaway, and I have worked together on many issues, and I know that he recognizes that the trade promotion programs that I referenced in my opening remarks are vital to our agricultural economy.

For decades, USDA export development programs like MAP have helped American farmers create, expand, and maintain access to foreign markets. Throughout their history, this successful public-private partnership has cultivated hundreds of billions of dollars in exports and created millions of American jobs both in the agricultural sector and in support industries, as well as the program brings a return to the United States economy.

In the findings of the underlying bill, it states: ``United States export development programs significantly increase demand for United States agricultural products . . . generating a return of $28 in added export revenue for each invested program dollar.''

Additionally: `` . . . our global competitors provide substantially more public support for export promotion than is provided to United States agricultural exporters.''

We are at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to the rest of the world when it comes to agricultural trade.

Mr. Speaker, without these private contributions and the private sector's resolve to support our export programs, it is very likely that the U.S. would not be the net agricultural exporter of the highest quality products that we are today. I think it is time that we look at our export promotion programs and take a serious look if we want to continue our exporting success.

Mr. Speaker, I introduced a bill to grow the investment in the MAP and FMD programs and I also offered an amendment that would have made a smaller investment in the MAP and FMD programs, and while we are not considering those amendments today, I am grateful that Chairman Conaway has agreed to come and engage in this important issue.

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Conaway for his commitment to continue working on this important issue, and I look forward to working with him.

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