[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 44 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             1998 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN M. McHUGH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 31, 1998

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3579) making 
     emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 1998, and for other purposes:

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Chairman, I want to take this opportunity to thank 
the members of the Appropriations Committee for all they have done to 
accomplish our objective of providing assistance to the dairy farmers 
and tree farmers in New York and the other Northeastern states who 
suffered devastating damage as a result of the ice storm which struck 
earlier this year.
  Unfortunately, the President's supplemental funding request did not 
adequately address the losses which were suffered by the agricultural 
industry. With the help of my House colleagues, Jim Walsh and Jerry 
Solomon, we have successfully rallied support in Congress to add 
funding to help our farmers who are struggling to recover from the 
devastation.
  I know that some of the funding we were successful in getting 
approved--compensation for diminished milk production--is unprecedented 
and I understand that some Members are concerned about this fact. But 
let there be no mistake--the losses in Northern New York and throughout 
the Northeast, along with areas of the country--represent a unique 
situation. The assistance we are providing in this bill represents a 
small, but vitally important, step forward on their road to recovery.
  The loss of electric power had enormous repercussions simply beyond 
inconvenience. As the third largest dairy producer in the nation, 
Northern New York is the state's largest dairy region. Without power, 
dairy farmers were unable to milk their herds. Those with generators--
an instrument which, as the hours without power turned into days and 
then weeks, became one of the region's most sought-after and precious 
commodities--who were able to milk frequently had to dump their milk 
because the roads were impassable and the milk trucks were unable to 
get through to pick up their product. Those lucky enough to be able to 
milk and get their product to the producer were frequently confronted 
with the milk plant being without power. At the end of the day, 
millions of pounds of milk had been dumped. In addition, because of 
their inability to milk the herds, or to milk on a normal schedule, 
many contracted mastitis, an illness which if not treated can kill the 
cow. In many instances, the illness is treatable, but it will be many 
weeks, if not months, before the cow is back on a regular production 
cycle. In the meantime, the farmers have lost critical production--and 
money right out of their pocket.
  Our initial hope that the federal disaster declaration would speed 
assistance to farmers was soon shattered as it became clear the Farm 
Service Agency's primary form of assistance was low interest loans. 
Federal programs to replace livestock losses or dairy production are 
either expired, do not apply to dairy farmers or are non-existent. To 
these dairy farmers, many of whom are already operating on the margins 
due to a 20 year low in milk prices, low interest loans are not even an 
option. They simply cannot afford it.
  Mr. Chairman, despite its precedence, what this bill offers in 
assistance to the dairy farmers is not outrageous. It conforms to the 
parameters of assistance programs by offering to make payments to 
farmers of up to 30 percent of their losses. It in no way makes them 
whole. What it does do is offer them light at the end of the tunnel and 
can well mean a make or break situation. These are family farmers--not 
conglomerates. They deserve no less than we are offering them here.
  In this bill we also provide assistance to maple sugar producers, 
Christmas tree farmers, and orchardists, among others. The ice wreaked 
havoc on these tree growers, as well, and it will take decades for many 
of them to recover from the kind of damage they suffered. Here too, 
these funds will help them on that road to recovery.
  Finally, I am pleased that we were able to secure Community 
Development Block Grant funding to assist homeowners in the Northeast 
meet those needs which have been left unmet by other federal assistance 
programs.

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