Thune: Dozens of Agriculture Groups Reject Recent House Farm Bill Proposal
Statement
Thune: Dozens of Agriculture Groups Reject Recent House Farm Bill Proposal
More than 40 Leading Ag Organizations Sign Letter Critical of Latest House Farm Bill Proposal
Today Senator John Thune made the following comments regarding the release of a letter signed by more than 40 leading agriculture organizations criticizing the latest House Farm Bill proposal:
"I applaud these groups for speaking up on behalf of the family farmers and ranchers they represent. The latest House Farm Bill proposal is flawed and would not be good for South Dakota.
"I cannot support the latest House Farm Bill proposal for the following reasons:
# It takes away all mandatory funding for the permanent disaster program in the Senate-passed Farm bill;
# It includes an ineffective crop revenue program that is based on national yields, which very likely will never benefit South Dakota;
# It eliminates Direct Payments in the 9th year - 2016;
# It negates my successful amendment in the Senate Agriculture Committee, which keeps the Loan Deficiency Payment safety net intact;
# It cuts the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage cap without providing any additional tools, like making rental rates more competitive, to keep CRP a healthy and viable tool for farmers who wish to use it to exercise sound land stewardship.
"The Senate Farm Bill passed with an overwhelming bipartisan and veto-proof majority (79-14) and it should be the vehicle used as the basis for a Conference report that could be signed by the President. It is unacceptable for the House Democrats to delay this process any further by refusing to appoint conferees, and instead attempt to negotiate the Farm Bill without the U.S. Senate.
"The Senate has named its Farm Bill Conferees and has been ready to begin the Conference process for weeks now. It is time for the House to take responsibility for its inaction and inability to come up with a veto-proof Farm Bill and complete its work by coordinating with the Senate. The last thing we should do as we work to pass a Farm bill is undercut important provisions for South Dakota that were included in both the House and Senate passed."
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