[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       FEDERAL AGRICULTURE REFORM AND RISK MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. RICHARD M. NOLAN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 18, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1947) to 
     provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and 
     other programs of the Department of Agriculture through 
     fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes:

  Mr. NOLAN. Madam Chair, today, as the House of Representatives 
debates the five-year Farm Bill, I am hopeful that my colleagues can 
come together on issues that touch all Americans. This bill makes great 
strides for energy programs, the forestry industry, the organic sector, 
and rural areas.
  I have always supported family farmers. They need protection from the 
vagaries of pestilence, drought, flooding, and the like. A five-year 
Farm Bill will offer them the certainty they need to make planting 
decisions.
  I do not believe this Farm Bill is perfect, but I also do not think 
that perfection should be the enemy of the good.
  In the Agriculture Committee last month, we spent more than ten hours 
debating amendments. That is how the legislative process should 
function. After it was all said and done, Chairman Lucas and Ranking 
Member Peterson felt this was the best product they could get through 
the House. I commend them for their hard work in pulling together a 
bipartisan compromise.
  I will vote for passage of this bill because I have confidence that 
the conference committee can merge the House and Senate bills in a way 
that provides for family farmers without gutting the SNAP program.
  Again, I will not claim that this bill is ideal--but we need to 
respect the work of our colleagues and advance this process.

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