[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 133 (Tuesday, October 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2027-E2028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                AGRICULTURAL RISK PROTECTION ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. PATSY T. MINK

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2559) to 
     amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act, to strengthen the 
     safety net for agricultural producers by providing greater 
     access to more affordable risk management tools and improve 
     protection from production and income loss, to improve the 
     efficiency and integrity of the Federal crop insurance 
     program, and for other purposes.


  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2559, 
the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 1999.
  For several years now, farmers in this country have been plagued by 
severe weather conditions compounded by drastically low world prices 
for agricultural products. I am pleased that the Agriculture Risk 
Protection Act seeks to address the plight of farmers and that we are 
now taking these steps to enhance the federal crop insurance program.
  H.R. 2559 will enable more farmers to participate in the federal crop 
insurance program and provide them with the tools they need to more 
adequately address their risk management needs. The Agriculture Risk 
Protection Act of 1999 increases the government premium support for the 
federal crop insurance program which will enable more farmers to 
participate in the program and afford higher levels of crop insurance 
protection.
  The bill would make the federal crop insurance program more user 
friendly by expediting the policy approval process and helping farmers 
buy new policies. Furthermore, it would increase the number of crops 
that are eligible for the crop insurance program and, for the first 
time, make risk management assistance for livestock producers available 
to ranchers through a pilot program.
  Many producers in the past, did not participate in the federal crop 
insurance program because they felt it was too expensive and provided 
too little coverage. To remedy this problem, the bill provides for 
performance based discounts for ``low risk'' producers. This will make 
it more appealing and affordable for ``low risk'' producers. this will 
make it more appealing and affordable for ``low risk'' producers, who 
previously did not participate in the federal crop insurance program.
  I would also like to point out that I have introduced legislation, 
H.R. 473, intended to expand the scope of the federal crop insurance

[[Page E2028]]

program even further. Currently, farmers who suffer from outbreaks of 
plant viruses and diseases are not eligible for benefits from the 
federal crop insurance program, noninsured crop assistance programs, or 
emergency loans. My bill would enable farmers who suffer crop losses 
due to plant viruses or plant diseases to be eligible for all of these 
programs. Crop destruction from viruses and diseases should be covered 
under these programs just as other natural disasters are. I invite all 
of my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 473 and I urge immediate 
consideration and passage of H.R. 473.
  Farmers deserve an affordable safety net program that will provide a 
worthwhile benefit when they are most in need. Although H.R. 2559, the 
Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 1999 would not extend protections to 
producers whose crops suffer from plant viruses or diseases, I believe 
it does improve and expand the safety net available for farmers and is 
a step in the right direction. I support H.R. 2559 and urge its 
immediate passage.

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