[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4379-S4380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               FARM BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, last evening the Senate voted 
overwhelmingly to advance H.R. 2--the farm bill. The reason it has 
reached the floor in its current form--ready for consideration, 
amendments, and, ultimately, passage by the full Senate--is the 
leadership of Chairman Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow. 
They have carried on the committee's proud tradition of focusing on 
substance and putting partisanship aside.
  As the senior Senator from Kentucky, I know exactly how important 
this legislation is to agricultural communities in my home State and 
around the Nation. Kentucky has 12.8 million acres dedicated to 
agriculture. That includes about $1 billion in soybean production last 
year alone, about three-quarters of a billion dollars in corn, and 
hundreds of millions of dollars in the production of hay and tobacco, 
just to name a few.
  These crops are only part of the story. Our leading agricultural 
commodity is poultry--a billion-dollar-plus industry that employs about 
7,000 Kentuckians on its own. These are just a few examples of what 
Kentucky farmers bring to the country and to the world.
  Despite the impressive scale, we are a State that is dominated by 
small farms. They form the backbone of rural communities throughout my 
State. But our farm families and those across rural America face a lot 
of uncertainty: natural disasters, from droughts to floods, unstable 
world markets, and falling commodity prices.
  Earlier this year, the USDA Economic Research Service forecasted that 
net farm income is in the process of falling to a 12-year low--a 12-
year low. The farmers who feed and support this country are counting on 
us to provide the predictability and certainty of a long-term farm 
bill.
  My colleagues and I on the Agriculture Committee have produced a farm 
bill that shows America's farmers that we understand their situation, 
share their concerns, and are taking action to address them.
  My colleagues from every corner of the country can be proud of this 
legislation. First and foremost, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 
2018 strengthens the safety measures that directly help commodity 
producers as they confront low prices. It also seizes a number of 
opportunities to invest in the future of American agriculture and rural 
communities.
  I am particularly excited about the provision that would empower 
farmers to begin cultivating industrial hemp, a crop that could play a 
key role going forward in Kentucky's economy and in the Nation's.
  The bill also focuses on rural broadband, rural water infrastructure, 
and the fight against the opioid epidemic that has hit rural America 
very hard.
  From top to bottom, this farm bill takes serious steps to ensure the 
future of American agriculture--for the sake of our farmers, our rural 
communities, and the entire country.

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  This week my colleagues will have ample opportunity to consider the 
legislation before us. In a few days I hope they will join me in voting 
to pass it.

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