[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 82 (Friday, May 18, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4211-H4212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PUTTING TOGETHER A BIPARTISAN FARM BILL

  (Mr. KILMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, the farm bill is supposed to be about 
people, but this bill is not. It doesn't help the farmer I met in 
Chimacum, who said he

[[Page H4212]]

knows there is a whole lot for big corporations in this bill but not 
enough for family farmers like him who want to plant something in their 
ground other than a for sale sign.
  This bill is a step backward for the families that I met a few weeks 
ago who stand in line at St. Leo emergency food pantry in Tacoma and 
sometimes wait for hours so that they can feed their kids and make ends 
meet while they look for jobs.
  This bill cuts the safety net that helps dairy farmers I met with in 
Grays Harbor when our changing climate floods their fields and turns 
acres of soil to dust.
  The majority claims they want to rebuild our rural economies, but 
this bill cuts rural development grants that help business owners in 
Forks and Sequim keep the lights on.
  You know, I haven't received one letter of support for what we are 
voting on today. The only people I have heard from are D.C. insiders 
who have misguided notions about real families struggling to make ends 
meet. This bill doesn't care enough about real farmers counting on this 
bill, and the families in St. Leo and the 1.5 million veterans and 
22,000 servicemembers who feed their families with nutrition 
assistance.
  It is wrong, Mr. Speaker, and it is another example why so many 
people are losing their faith in government. Let's vote this down and 
put together a bipartisan farm bill that does more to help people.

                          ____________________