Farmers, Ranchers, Foresters, and Consumers Deserve Certainty

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for those kind remarks on the Congressional Western Caucus, and I thank him for being such a strong member of the Western Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of a farm bill that addresses the needs, the priorities, and the concerns of rural America.

As chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, and probably even more importantly as a third-generation farmer myself, my son being now the fourth generation, I know the difficulties farmers and ranchers face in day-to-day operations.

Agriculture is the lifeblood of our Nation. The government's role should be to support the agricultural industry and their efforts to feed and fuel our country. The farm bill does just that.

Today, farmers and ranchers understand all too well the consequences of a heavy-handed Federal bureaucracy.

Today, we are at a crossroads. We are being pushed to the limits. Agricultural operations, both large and small, have been impacted by excessive regulations and tax burdens that have proved challenging for everyday life.

That is why, at this critical moment, we cannot turn our backs on the men and women who have made American agriculture successful.

Western Caucus members have been consistent about their priorities for a successful farm bill. These include supporting production agriculture in every way possible, improving voluntary conservation programs to ensure that those closest to the land can manage it the way that they know the best, enhancing forest health and management, and strengthening America's rural communities through investment and development.

Throughout this entire process, I have been impressed with the Agriculture Committee's attention to producing the best farm bill possible.

I have been especially encouraged by Chairman Thompson's due diligence to go out to gather community perspectives, evaluate current programs, and advocate for policies to be included in the legislation with rural America first and foremost in mind. He has been to my State several times. I think he has been to almost every single State in the Union.

Under Chairman Thompson's leadership, the committee has strived to produce a comprehensive and effective farm bill that accomplishes many of the priorities that the Western Caucus members advocate for.

This legislation will send a message to America's farmers and ranchers that we will still have their backs, and I will continue to support them just as they support our Nation.

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