Durbin, Dorgan Discuss $3.9 Billion in Agriculture Disaster Relief Stripped Out by House

DURBIN, DORGAN DISCUSS $3.9 BILLION IN AGRICULTURE DISASTER RELIEF STRIPPED OUT BY HOUSE REPUBLICANS

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) today promised to continue fighting for agriculture disaster relief funding cut from the emergency spending bill late last night by House Republicans as the bill was in conference. Proposed agriculture relief legislation was targeted to states like Illinois which were hit hard by agricultural disasters, including hurricanes, drought and floods.

"It is unfair that Illinois farmers were denied this drought relief," said Durbin. "I worked with my colleagues in the Senate on both sides of the aisle to include $3.9 billion to deal with last year's drought. Last night, with only one House Republican on our side, House members insisted on providing farmers with only 10 percent of the needed funding. The money for agriculture disaster relief in this bill doesn't do nearly enough to help our Illinois farmers."

Last night, the House rejected the Senate funding request for $3.9 billion and insisted on selling farmers short by agreeing to just $409 million. Durbin served on the House-Senate conference committee that negotiated the final version of the emergency appropriations bill, but the President pressured members of the committee to drop the agriculture disaster package.

"This year, Illinois farmers needed our help," said Durbin. "Most Illinois farms are run by families who depend on farming for their livelihood. 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. We cannot let this be the final word and I am now working with senators on a bipartisan basis to get this important funding flowing to our farmers."

Durbin noted that in addition to coping with crop losses, farmers have had to deal with significantly higher operating costs, as a result of increased fuel prices. For Illinois farmers, increased fuel prices mean higher costs for operating farm machinery, as well as rising fertilizer and pesticide prices. Durbin added that the average Illinois farmer, with a 1,000 acre farm, is paying $24,000 more than he or she did in 2001 to operate a farm. This 30 percent increase in costs is a direct result of higher gas prices which have led to higher fuel, fertilizer and pesticide costs for farmers across the state.

In Illinois, every county but one has been designated a disaster area by the Secretary of Agriculture, costing Illinois farmers $433 million in losses.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=256615&&