Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today I will vote to pass a bipartisan measure to reauthorize the many important programs and reforms included in this year's farm bill. Chairman Stabenow and Senator Cochran are to be commended for the good work they and other Agriculture Committee members put into developing this legislation.

This bill is the most sweeping reform of agriculture programs in recent memory. Gone are outdated direct payments that are made regardless of profitability of the farm. Instead, we strengthen the crop insurance program, a vital safety net for our producers, while making commonsense reforms. The amendment I offered with Senator Coburn reducing premium support for the wealthiest farmers is a part of these reforms. So is the move to require conservation compliance from farmers who benefit from subsidized crop insurance. I hope these will be retained in a final conference version of the bill.

The energy title includes mandatory funding for programs to expand bio-based manufacturing, advanced biofuels, and renewable energy. These programs help companies in Illinois like Archer Daniels Midland and Patriot Renewable Fuels process and manufacture products in rural America. There are many examples in Illinois of new markets being developed and new jobs being created in rural areas because of the growth in bio-based industries.

The bill also includes mandatory spending, reauthorizes, and expands several programs in the research title. A new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research will leverage public dollars to generate private investment in ag research. These investments are important to Illinois producers and major research institutions like the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, the Peoria Agriculture Lab, and several other universities and labs across Illinois.

Finally, the bill ensures that programs are in place to help our rural communities grow and thrive and it reauthorizes food assistance programs for those most in need, at home and abroad. And it does all this while saving roughly $24 billion compared to pre-sequestration budget levels.

As the Senate and House work through conference, I urge my colleagues to protect access to SNAP for the over 23 million households that depend on the program. It is my great hope that when a final version of the 2013 farm bill is considered in the Senate, I will be able to fully support a bill that protects this important nutrition program.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source