[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4381-S4382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               FARM BILL

  Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I rise as the Senate considers 
legislation on an issue that is critically important to our Nation--the 
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018--the farm bill.
  The goal, the responsibility, the absolute requirement is to provide 
our farmers, ranchers, and growers, and everyone within America's 
agriculture and food value chain certainty and predictability, 
especially during these very difficult times. This is paramount, 
absolutely paramount to any other issues and concerns.
  It is not an exaggeration to say our Nation's food and fiber 
capability, with regard to production, hangs in the balance with what 
we do on this legislation. Simply put, let's get this done.
  Many of my colleagues have introduced legislation over the last year 
that addresses priorities and stakeholders in their States. The bill 
that passed the Agriculture Committee, with the help and partnership of 
my distinguished ranking member Senator Stabenow, passed with a strong 
bipartisan vote of 20 to 1 earlier this month. That bill addresses many 
of these concerns. In fact, the Ag Committee's bill includes this bill 
we are considering today, portions of 65 stand-alone bills, and an 
additional 73 amendments were adopted in the committee. That is called 
working together. That is called regular order.
  Needless to say, we have work to include as many priorities from 
Members both on and off the Ag Committee, and we want to continue 
working with Members to address their concerns. Prepare your amendments 
and come work with Senator Stabenow and me.
  We are endeavoring to craft a farm bill that meets the needs of 
producers across all regions, all crops. All of agriculture today is 
struggling, not just one or two commodities. We are indeed going 
through a very difficult time; what we call in farm country, a rough 
patch.
  We must have a bill that works all across our great Nation. We must 
ensure that our voluntary conservation programs are keeping farmland in 
operation while protecting our agriculture lands and forests and other

[[Page S4382]]

natural resources. Let us not forget that in a few short decades, the 
global population will top 9 billion people--some are saying even 10 
billion. Agriculture production will need to double in the near future 
to meet that demand. Accomplishing this task requires efficiency, not 
just on the farm and ranch but also in our government.
  We must focus on program integrity--we have done that--and 
commonsense investments to strengthen our nutrition programs to ensure 
the long-term health and success of those in need of assistance. We 
have done that in this bill with efficiencies, reform, and a priority 
with regard to program integrity.
  With trade and market uncertainty, to say the least, we must provide 
certainty for our trade promotion and research programs. Today we are 
losing our markets. Kansas wheat is not going to Mexico. Mexico is 
buying its wheat from Argentina. It is the same for corn. Our corn is 
not going down to Mexico. Mexico is buying their corn from Brazil.
  I think it could be said that when a tariff is imposed to try to 
improve trade deficits, you also run the risk--and we have already seen 
it happen--of retaliation, and retaliation comes back directly on our 
producers and agriculture.
  That is why we have to have this bill passed. Feeding an increasing 
global population is not just an agricultural challenge, it is a 
national security challenge. Show me a country that cannot feed itself, 
and I will show you a nation in chaos. This means we need to grow more 
and raise more with fewer resources. That is going to take investments 
in research, new technology, lines of credit, and proper risk 
management. It takes the government providing tools and then getting 
out of the producers' way.
  In this bill, we have made and must make tough choices and be 
judicious with the scarce resources we have. Through an open and 
deliberate hearing process over the last 18 months, Members of the 
Senate Agriculture Committee have asked tough questions, reexamined 
programs to determine their effectiveness, and tried to ensure programs 
accomplish their fundamental purposes. Agriculture, and specifically 
the farm bill, has consistently answered the call to do more with less. 
To those who say passing a farm bill in this environment is a daunting 
task--and, yes, it is--I say, together we can get this done.
  I think about the folks back home right now. I would like to point 
out that the wheat harvest is still growing across Kansas, starting in 
Nebraska, and headed for South Dakota and North Dakota. These farmers 
in the midst of harvest are facing Mother Nature. The unknown of a 
thunderstorm or hailstorm can hit just as they try to harvest their 
grain. In Kansas, we have a drought, but we are still hopeful we can 
harvest a reasonable crop.
  We must adopt the attitude of our producers--optimism and ingenuity. 
A farmer doesn't plant a seed in the ground without the faith and 
optimism of harvesting a good crop. That is what we should do. That 
means, with bipartisan support, we must do our job. We must pass a bill 
that provides those same men and women the much needed certainty and 
predictability they deserve. Again, that is the paramount issue.
  I know many Members have concerns. Many Members have amendments that 
want to address a specific problem. They feel very strongly about it, 
and we are here to help. We are here to help them to address such 
issues in this bill, but we also have to understand the tough 
challenges we face. Farmers, ranchers, and growers are in a very 
difficult time. We must respond to that. We are the Agriculture 
Committee. We must accept that challenge. We must be champions for 
these people, and we need a bill. That is the No. 1 issue--certainty 
and predictability during a very difficult time for our farmers, our 
ranchers, and our growers.
  Now, this is not the best possible bill, but it is the best bill 
possible under these circumstances. So I look forward to working with 
my colleagues on continuing to move this process forward.

  To my partner in this process, Senator Stabenow, thank you so much 
for your help and cooperation and working together. I look forward to 
working with you toward that goal in the days ahead. Let's get this 
bill done.
  I yield the floor.

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