[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 5, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S5870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    DISPOSAL OF CERTAIN COMMODITIES

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Agriculture be immediately discharged from its further consideration 
of Senate Concurrent Resolution 63, and that the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 63) to express the 
     sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture 
     should dispose of all remaining commodities in the disaster 
     reserve maintained under the Agriculture Act of 1970 to 
     relieve the distress of livestock producers whose ability to 
     maintain livestock is adversely affected by the prolonged 
     drought conditions existing in certain areas of the United 
     States, and for other purposes.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the concurrent resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.


                           Amendment No. 4042

 (Purpose: To expand the type of disaster conditions addressed by the 
                              resolution)

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I understand there is an amendment at the 
desk offered by Senator Kassebaum, and I ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Montana [Mr. Burns], for Mrs. Kassebaum, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 4042.

  The amendment is as follows:

       On page 2, line 3, insert ``and other adverse weather'' 
     after ``drought''.
       On page 2, line 9, strike ``the prolonged drought'' and 
     insert ``disaster conditions, such as prolonged drought or 
     flooding''.

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I commend the junior Senator from Kansas 
for calling attention to the devastating impact of adverse weather on 
our Nation's producers. I fully support Senate Concurrent Resolution 
63, which urges the Secretary of Agriculture to make available 
commodities in the disaster reserve for livestock feed.
  I also commend Senator Kassebaum for agreeing to broaden the 
resolution to include producers suffering from flooding and other 
weather related disasters. In my home State of South Dakota and 
throughout the eastern cornbelt, excessive rainfall this spring has 
prevented producers from planting their crop. This resolution 
acknowledges the importance of addressing the effect of both drought 
and flooding on producers.
  Senate Concurrent Resolution 63 reinforces an initiative to utilize 
the disaster reserve already undertaken by the Secretary of 
Agriculture. Secretary Glickman has informed me that he has formally 
asked the President of the United States to issue an emergency 
declaration to allow the use of the commodities within the reserve, and 
he expects a positive response shortly. In light of the actions the 
administration has already taken in this area, some have argued this 
resolution is superfluous, but it is fitting for Congress to send a 
clear signal that we support the efforts of Secretary Glickman and the 
President, and I have, therefore, joined as a cosponsor of the 
resolution.
  Before passing this resolution, it is also worth noting that 
Presidential approval of the use of the disaster reserve is necessary 
only because the recently enacted farm bill suspended the Secretary's 
discretionary authority to access these stocks through the Emergency 
Livestock Feed Program. Recently, my distinguished colleague from New 
Mexico, Senator Jeff Bingaman, introduced legislation to reauthorize 
this valuable program. I hope the majority will also give prompt 
attention to this legislation to assist producers suffering from 
weather-related disasters. This bill, introduced with bipartisan 
support, would give immediate relief to farmers and ranchers victimized 
by the devastating drought in the Southwest and other areas.
  Finally, Mr. President, I would like to commend Secretary Glickman 
and the President for their quick, decisive and thorough response to 
the drought plaguing the Southwest and Central Plains States. Secretary 
Glickman has already opened the Conservation Reserve Program for haying 
and grazing, provided additional funds for the Emergency Loan Program, 
and expanded crop insurance for forage crops. Utilization of the 
disaster reserve to provide emergency livestock feed is yet another 
example of the President's commitment to rural America.
  Mr. BURNS. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to, 
the resolution be agreed to, as amended, and the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the 
resolution appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4042) was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 63), as amended, was agreed 
to, as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 63

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. USE OF DISASTER RESERVE FOR ASSISTANCE TO 
                   LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS.

       In light of the prolonged drought and other adverse weather 
     conditions existing in certain areas of the United States, 
     the Secretary of Agriculture should promptly dispose of all 
     commodities in the disaster reserve maintained under section 
     813 of the Agricultural Act of 1970 (7 U.S.C. 1427a) to 
     relieve the distress of livestock producers whose ability to 
     maintain livestock is adversely affected by disaster 
     conditions, such as prolonged drought or flooding.
  The title was amended so as to read:

       A concurrent resolution to express the sense of Congress 
     that the Secretary of Agriculture should dispose of all 
     remaining commodities in the disaster reserve maintained 
     under the Agricultural Act of 1970 to relieve the distress of 
     livestock producers whose ability to maintain livestock is 
     adversely affected by disaster conditions existing in certain 
     areas of the United States, such as prolonged drought or 
     flooding, and for other purposes.

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