[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 122 (Thursday, August 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8978-S8979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DROUGHT RELIEF

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today I speak on behalf of the farmers and 
ranchers of Texas. Like millions of Americans in other States, Texans 
love the land. From the hill country to the river valleys--from the 
panhandle to the gulf coast--our land helps define who we are.
  And for many Texans, the land is their livelihood. One in seven jobs 
in our State is tied to agriculture. We lead the Nation in several crop 
and livestock industries--including the production of cattle and 
cotton. Texas farmers and ranchers help feed and clothe Americans in 
every State--and in dozens of countries around the world.
  Our farmers and ranchers are tough people--and they are seeing tough 
times. Central and south Texas is experiencing some of the driest 
conditions in the country today. Seventy counties in our State are 
experiencing extreme or exceptional drought--the two worst 
classifications made by the USDA. These areas represent 42.5 million 
acres--about 25 percent of Texas--and nearly equal to the total land 
area of New England.
  The drought has severely impacted Texas farmers and ranchers. 
According to one recent study, economic losses will reach $3.6 billion 
by the end of this year--a little less than $1 billion in livestock 
losses--and the rest in crop losses.
  A few weeks ago, I met with some ranchers and farmers in San Angelo, 
TX. They shared with me how drought conditions were devastating 
production--even as the recession weakened demand. They also asked me a 
question: Where was the money Washington promised to help them through 
these tough times?
  Their question is the same question I am asking today: Where is the 
money Congress authorized last year for the Supplemental Revenue 
Assurance Program?
  The SURE Program was included in the farm bill we passed in June of 
2008. It received broad bipartisan support. It created a trust fund of 
about $3 billion a year to help farmers and ranchers during tough 
times.
  Yet despite becoming law more than a year ago, the SURE Program has 
still not been implemented by the USDA. Not a single farmer or rancher 
has received any assistance from the trust fund so far. No payments had 
even been

[[Page S8979]]

planned before December of this year--as it is the lowest of five 
priorities within USDA's disaster assistance program.
  On July 16, I wrote Secretary Vilsack. I asked him to tell me when 
our farmers and ranchers can expect to receive the assistance Congress 
authorized for them. I also cosponsored Senator Hutchison's amendment 
to the Agriculture appropriations bill, which expresses the sense of 
the Senate that USDA should expedite the drought relief we approved 
last year.
  This week, I spoke to Secretary Vilsack as he was traveling in Kenya. 
He told me that the SURE Program should be finalized by September, 
which is encouraging news. He also said that the Department's 
antiquated record-keeping, as well as new demands imposed on USDA in 
the stimulus bill, have prevented this program from being finalized 
sooner.
  Nevertheless, Mr. President, I am frustrated that we are discussing 
more money for cash for clunkers--when we should be asking: Where's the 
cash for crops? Where's the relief for ranchers?
  Other Senators may be asking a third question: Why should I care? I 
can think of two reasons.
  First, Texas isn't the only State susceptible to drought conditions. 
The Lone Star State is experiencing the worst of it now, but many other 
States in the South and West could experience similar conditions in the 
future. The SURE Program was created for farmers and ranchers in all of 
our States--so we all have a stake in seeing this program implemented 
quickly and successfully.
  Second, the implementation challenges of this program should be on 
our minds as we consider expanding or creating new programs. Mr. 
President, the SURE Program isn't a complicated program. It is a fairly 
straightforward disaster assistance initiative. This shouldn't be a 
heavy lift for the Federal bureaucracy.
  Yet if a simple program like this takes a year or more to get off the 
ground--Senators really should pause and take a deep breath before we 
create a vast new Federal bureaucracy to run a complicated cap-and-
trade scheme, take control over one-sixth of our economy in the name of 
health care reform, or dump more taxpayers' dollars into the Cash for 
Clunkers Program.

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