[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 121 (Thursday, July 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10131-S10132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  LIVESTOCK INDEMNITY PROGRAM PAYMENTS

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise today to highlight an important 
piece of legislation that was passed by the Senate last night. This 
legislation would fix a potentially devastating mistake in the 
agriculture disaster assistance legislation Congress passed last May.
  Over the past few years, drought conditions and other natural 
disasters have financially strained tens of thousands of agriculture 
producers across the country. Last May, Congress responded to the needs 
of America's producers by enacting more than $3 billion in emergency 
disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers who experienced losses in 
2005, 2006, and early 2007.
  This assistance includes payments for livestock losses under the 
Livestock Indemnity Program and compensation for grazing losses under 
the Livestock Compensation Program.
  Last month, it was brought to my attention that as many as 90% of 
livestock producers will be ineligible for assistance due to an 
unintended technicality in the emergency supplemental bill. The USDA's 
Office of General Counsel is interpreting Section 9012 of the emergency 
supplemental bill in a very narrow manner. This section requires 
participation in the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program--
NAP--or Federal crop insurance pilot program during the year livestock 
disaster assistance is requested.
  If disaster benefits are limited to only those livestock producers 
with NAP or crop insurance coverage, the vast majority of livestock 
producers in drought-stricken regions will be ineligible for disaster 
assistance.
  While crop insurance is typically required for crop disaster 
assistance, similar requirements are highly unusual for livestock 
disaster assistance. In fact, NAP coverage has never been a 
prerequisite for livestock disaster assistance in previous emergency 
spending bills.
  Only a small percentage of livestock producers have traditionally 
participated in the NAP program, because indemnity payments range from 
$1 to $2 per acre. Since NAP payments are so low, few grazing producers 
have participated. It is simply bad policy to exclude producers from 
disaster assistance who chose not to participate in an ineffective 
program.

  Congress clearly intended disaster assistance to be available to 
those producers most impacted by years of devastating weather 
conditions. My legislation would strike Section 9012 of the 2007 
emergency supplemental spending bill, and would ensure that livestock 
producers impacted by natural disasters receive assistance they deserve 
in a timely manner.

[[Page S10132]]

  The USDA is currently preparing policy, procedure and software to 
implement disaster programs authorized under this legislation. USDA has 
promised to conduct signup and deliver financial assistance to our 
agriculture producers this fall. By the time these disaster dollars 
reach individual producers, many will have waited for over two years 
since first experiencing weather-related losses. Without this 
legislative fix, unacceptable disaster program implementation delays 
will occur.
  I thank the cosponsors of this legislation who have made another 
strong stand for America's farm and ranch families. I also thank my 
colleagues in the Senate for recognizing the urgency of this situation 
and passing this bill by unanimous consent last night.
  Cosponsors of the bill are: Senators Nelson of Nebraska, Baucus, 
Tester, Johnson, Conrad, Harkin, Landrieu, Barrasso, Enzi, Hagel, 
Dorgan, and Inhofe.
  I urge the House of Representatives to quickly pass my bill to ensure 
that livestock producers are able to qualify for the disaster 
assistance that was signed into law earlier this year.

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