[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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