Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007
Floor Speech
FARM, NUTRITION, AND BIOENERGY ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 11, 2007)
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise today to offer an amendment to Senator Harkin's substitute amendment to the farm bill. I commend Chairman Harkin, Senator Chambliss, and all the members of the Agriculture Committee for their hard work during the drafting of this farm bill.
I particularly thank the committee for its commitment to making this bill the most fair in our country's history. The committee's farm bill includes all agricultural producers, not just growers of commodity crops. With new programs for specialty growers and expanded protections for dairy and livestock producers, this bill is truly a winner for all parts of the country.
I thank my colleague from Iowa once again, now that he is in the Chamber, for his great work and for being inclusive as he always is.
I am here this morning offering an amendment I believe builds on the spirit of the committee's bill. This amendment increases funding for vital conservation programs that are important to all working farmers. It provides an additional $480 million over 5 years to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP; an additional $65 million over 5 years to the Farmland Protection Program; and an additional $60 million to the Grassland Reserve Program.
To offset these increased payments, the amendment makes small reductions in the Federal subsidies of crop insurance. It increases the cut in administration and operations payments to 4 percent, above the committee's 2 percent, and retains the important snap-back provision Senator Roberts introduced.
The amendment also raises the underwriting gain share to 12.5 percent. That is the level to which the House raised it.
Working farmers are the most important stewards of our natural resources. Farmers and ranchers own 70 percent of the land in the country. They deserve help from the Government preserving these resources because all Americans benefit from them.
I would also like to add, I am in full support of the amendment--I am a cosponsor, in fact, of the amendment--the Senator from Ohio, Mr. Brown, has offered. This amendment is along the same lines, and I will not ask for a vote on it if his amendment succeeds because I think it is an outstanding amendment.
With that, I yield back the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
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