[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 31, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H131-H132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



               POULTRY FARMERS' EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Under a previous order of the

[[Page H132]]

House, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Shows) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. SHOWS. Mr. Speaker, the unusually cold winter and the dramatic 
increase in heating costs are hurting everybody in my State of 
Mississippi and this country. Clearly we need to encourage more 
domestic production of oil and gas. But in Mississippi, we need 
immediate action; we need help today, especially for our region's 
poultry industry.
  Some poultry farmers have seen their gas bills double and triple over 
last year. This is through no fault of their own since we lost so much 
to NAFTA, which is a major employer in many of our communities. The 
poultry industry relies on plentiful and affordable gas heat in the 
cold winter months.
  These days the industry has been devastated by the dramatic rise in 
the cost of gas. This may not be a natural disaster like a tornado or 
flood, but this is a disaster just the same. It is an economic disaster 
that threatens the very existence of farmers throughout our regions.
  Yesterday, I introduced a bill that would provide both immediate and 
long-term emergency assistance to our poultry farmers. My bill, the 
Poultry Farmers' Emergency Energy Assistance Act, would authorize the 
Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants that would not have to be 
repaid to help local producers deal immediately with financial 
pressures caused by this crisis.
  This bill would also make low-interest loans available to poultry 
farmers to help deal with the energy crisis for the months ahead.
  In addition, at my insistence, loan-making officials at the USDA's 
Farm Service Agency have clarified their regulations so that contract 
poultry farmers will be eligible for FSA emergency loans.
  This important legislation needs to be enacted quickly. Our farmers 
need help, and they need it now. I am calling upon our leaders in 
Congress to move this energy assistance bill quickly to passage. I will 
not rest until the Poultry Farmers' Emergency Energy Assistance Act 
becomes law.

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