[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 34 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1624-S1625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CROP INSURANCE

  Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I rise in support of S. 2251, the Risk 
Management for the 21st Century Act regarding crop insurance reform, I 
am an original co-sponsor of this important legislation and I thank my 
colleagues Senators Bob Kerrey and Pat Roberts for their leadership on 
this issue.
  Crop insurance reform has been a major, bipartisan legislative effort 
for farm state Senators. Reforming crop insurance is vital to America's 
agricultural producers and to the rural economies in all of our ag-
producing states. We need to pass this legislation today.
  The need for crop insurance reform has been a common denominator in 
my conversations with all of Nebraska's agricultural producers and 
agribusinesses, as I am sure it has for my colleagues as they have 
spoken with ag-producers across the country.
  Every commodity organization and farm group that I've spoken with has 
urged Congress to reform and improve America's crop insurance programs.
  Why is crop insurance important? By increasing and expanding private 
crop insurance coverage, ag producers can make long-term market 
decisions without being devastated by short-term economic downturns.
  If we can assist in making crop insurance--an important risk 
management tool--more affordable and expansive, we will help producers 
weather the bad times.
  S. 2251 makes a number of important changes to the crop insurance 
system that will benefit America's ag producers.
  This bill establishes a new premium assistance formula to encourage 
producers to increase their crop insurance coverage by making higher 
levels of coverage more affordable, and increases the level of coverage 
farmers can purchase.
  It will ease actual ``production history'' rules so that farmer's 
insurance coverage is less likely to be artificially depressed by 
successive years of bad weather.
  This legislation will reduce the potential for insurance fraud and 
abuse with strong program compliance provisions.
  It includes new pilot projects for livestock insurance, specialty 
crops, and coverage reinsured through futures markets.
  By passing the Risk Management for the 21st Century Act we can help 
eliminate some of the uncertainty and instability in farm operations, 
thus allowing farmers to plan for the long-term.
  Additionally, this legislation should help Congress and the American 
taxpayers reduce the need for disaster-assistance packages for our ag 
producers, and the costs associated with him.
  If we can help provide farmers with the management tools they need to 
plan for their future, there will be less of a need to rely on future 
emergency supplemental appropriations bills when bad times strike.

[[Page S1625]]

  I again thank Senators Roberts and Kerrey and their staffs for their 
diligence in spearheading crop insurance reform, and acknowledge Senate 
Agriculture Chairman Lugar for his leadership in getting this bill out 
of the Agriculture Committee and onto the floor of the Senate for a 
vote.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I yield 
the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Under the previous order, the Senator from Illinois controls the time 
until 11 a.m., of which the Senator from Montana, Mr. Baucus, shall 
have 10 minutes.
  The Senator from Washington.

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