Farm Bill Impact Series

Floor Speech

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to deliver the closing installment of my farm bill impact series for the 117th Congress. In 2022, I delivered 15 speeches on this House floor about various farm bill programs and titles that I believe Congress must understand and support ahead of the 2023 reauthorization.

In Congress, we deal with the laws of the land--and that is important--but farmers are the caretakers of the land itself. Farmers built our history, sustain our present, and secure our future. They deserve the unwavering support of Congress in the form of legislation that supports their tireless efforts to feed, fuel, and clothe the world. That means keeping crop insurance strong, supporting robust trade programs, and ensuring that producers are not being hamstrung by burdensome overregulation.

Early in my speech series, I highlighted crop insurance first. Keeping this program strong is my highest priority for the 2023 farm bill. Crop insurance helps producers manage the risks that they face every day from weather, pests, disease, and market volatility. It is also a great example of a successful public-private partnership. Agricultural producers have a fickle partner in Mother Nature, who doesn't always cooperate, and crop insurance helps producers stay afloat when disaster strikes.

Shortly after my crop insurance speech, I spoke about trade programs which serve to spearhead innovative market access, new market development, and promote agricultural sales overseas. Each year $140 billion worth of agricultural products are exported. My State of Kansas is known as the Wheat State, and 50 percent of all wheat sold in the U.S. is exported. So Congress must think critically and carefully about the international components of the trade title. Trade programs, which have longstanding records of success in America, also represent the partnership between the public and private sectors of our country, just like crop insurance.

The biggest threat to American agriculture, however, isn't a scarcity of natural resources or bad weather, but Federal Government overreach. The Biden administration has tried to dismantle the stepped-up basis and impose a farm killer capital gains tax on American producers that would destroy thousands of family farms overnight; the definition of waters of the U.S. keeps changing, and now the Federal Government would like to tell farmers what to do with their puddles; animals, like the lesser prairie-chicken, are being added to the endangered species list; and fertilizer and other inputs--even if you can get them--are often so expensive that they can't be afforded by agricultural producers. Government overreach has created a tornado of chaos, and my producers are in its path of destruction.

Mr. Speaker, I am standing here today, and will continue to stand here, advocating for American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers because they are the lifeblood of this country. They keep us fed, fueled, and clothed. And they have earned the unwavering support of Congress.

I will be delivering more installments of my farm bill impact series in the 118th Congress, and I look forward to the 2023 reauthorization of the farm bill because it is an opportunity for Congress to say unequivocally that we stand with our farmers. Recognizing Legislative Assistant Cale Beam

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank Cale Beam for his service to me, my office, and the great people of the First District of Kansas.

Cale was on my team since my first day in Congress, and he has consistently brought an eloquent and thoughtful approach to his research, writing, and recommendations. He has a genuine and kind spirit, a clever sense of humor, and a wisdom that is beyond his years.

I am so excited to see what lies ahead for Cale, and I know that with his skill set, he will go far.

Cale, like me, is a man of faith. I want to send him off on his new adventure with these two brief thoughts from the Scriptures.

First, God works all things to good for those who love Him.

Second, delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Cale. My first session in Congress would not have been the same without him. I will miss him, and I wish him all the best with his new pursuit.

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