Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007

Floor Speech

FARM, NUTRITION, AND BIOENERGY ACT OF 2007

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007. I'd also like to thank the members of the Agriculture Committee for their commitment to this effort which has yielded a farm bill that is a victory for all Americans.

This bipartisan agreement provides a strong safety net for not only our Nation's family farmers and small and disadvantaged farmers, but also for millions of American citizens who live below the poverty line and are dependents on Federal nutrition assistance.

Committee members worked diligently, day and night for weeks, to ensure that funding levels and payment limitations were fair, equitable, and available to farmers. It ensures a flexible, affordable and top-quality food supply for consumers while strengthening America's food safety and security.

The farm bill provides a 5-year reauthorization of the farm, rural development, conservation, and nutrition programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA. The 2007 farm bill is fiscally responsible, fully compliant with the PAYGO rules, while still providing a strong safety net for America's farmers and ranchers. It makes vital investments in nutrition, conservation, and renewable energy. This bill will help producers of all commodities stay on the land that they hold and love, so that they can continue with their livelihood, while also conserving natural resources for future generations.

The bill before us today also addresses many of the needs of those in southwest and middle Georgia, Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, which I represent, in terms of protecting our Nation's farmers, conserving our natural resources, and feeding the hungry.

In addition, the bill will provide better balances in support programs between all types of crops. The bill's reforms further encourage farmers to plant for the market, and not for the benefit of government programs. It also provides a sharp increase in funding for fruit and vegetable and other specialty crops, mandates implementation of country of origin labeling, and increases assistance to small and disadvantaged farmers significantly, including important new language with respect to the Pigford case. In addition, the bill increases funding for school lunch and other nutritional programs, and provides for new and extended conservation, research, trade promotion, and rural development programs.

This bill makes much needed strides in reforming the nutrition title to better help Americans adequately cover food costs and sustain themselves for the entire month. It increases the minimum benefit for food stamp recipients, which is especially important for senior citizens in need. It also helps feed our military families by excluding special combat pay as income when qualifying for food assistance programs.

Finally, I am particularly pleased that the bill proposes and improves the quality of life of the people living in our rural communities by renewing successful programs that provide critical healthcare, emergency and communications needs to undeserved areas. It creates a new grant program to assist rural health facilities, improves access to broadband telecommunications services in rural areas with a greater focus on the rural communities of greatest need, and supports critical infrastructure programs for rural cities and town.

Today, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to "Protect our Farmers.'' They protect us by satisfying our most basic needs--food, fiber, and fuel. Let us pass this Farm bill today for our farmers across this great Nation who desperately need this support, so that they are able to continue producing a safe and reliable food source.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this bill.

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