Durbin, Senators Vow to Push for Agriculture Disaster Relief Funding Next Congress After House Elimniates $1.6 Billion From Spending Bill
DURBIN, SENATORS VOW TO PUSH FOR AGRICULTURE DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING NEXT CONGRESS AFTER HOUSE ELIMINATES $1.6 BILLION FROM SPENDING BILL
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Mark Dayton (D-MN), and Barack Obama (D-IL) today vowed to push for agriculture disaster relief funding next Congress after the House eliminated $1.6 billion in critical aid from the Defense Appropriations bill. The more than $1.6 billion in agriculture relief, which would extend federal aid to states confronted with drought, hurricanes and floods, was removed from the spending bill after the House rejected the Senate funding request.
"Hurricane Katrina has decimated production all throughout the Gulf Coast," said Durbin. "In addition, we have had a terrible drought in the Midwest - in my home state of Illinois, in Missouri and in parts of Iowa and Minnesota. We've had the worst drought in 105 years in some parts of my state. Every county but one in Illinois has been designated a disaster area by the Secretary of Agriculture."
Durbin has worked to provide critical relief for Illinois farmers whose crops have suffered in one of the worst droughts in a century. This fall, Durbin introduced a bill to extend last year's disaster relief package through this crop year. That bill was written to allow farmers in the affected states to continue receive crop disaster payments, livestock compensation payments and orchard tree assistance payments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"This year, Illinois farmers needed our help," said Durbin. "This simple, bipartisan legislation would have extended last year's emergency designation for farms affected by this year's drought. Unfortunately, the House rejected the Senate provisions to assist farmers whose crops have been damaged due to a natural disaster. It is sad that this simple help has died on the vine due to end-of-the-session politics. We owe our farm families more and we will try to get them the help they need next year."
Drought conditions have reduced crop yields in Illinois in 2005. Based on November estimates, corn is estimated at 145 bushels per acre, down 180 bushels per acre from last year. Total state production for corn is down 17% from last year. Soybean total state production is down 12 % from last year.
http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=250005&&