[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 27, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4459-S4460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               FARM BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today the Senate will continue our work 
on the farm bill. The bipartisan collaboration of Chairman Roberts and 
Ranking Member Stabenow has given all Senators the opportunity to 
review and consider this important legislation.
  Now we start the amendment process. Ideas from many of our colleagues 
have already been included in the Roberts substitute amendment, but the 
bill managers are open to considering additional amendments.
  We will start with the Thune amendment regarding the Conservation 
Reserve Program and go on from there, but it remains our intention to 
finish consideration of the bill this week. This bill is too important 
to let it languish. This is our chance to support the farm families, 
producers, and rural communities on whom our Nation depends. Make no 
mistake about it. They need that support.
  American farmers are staring down falling commodity prices and 
unstable markets and living under the constant threat of droughts, 
floods, or other natural disasters. They are looking for certainty and 
predictability. This farm bill delivers.
  ``The fact is, without the solid foundation of the farm bill and the 
certainty it provides, many farmers and ranchers would not be able to 
get operating loans to farm for another year.''
  Those are the words of the president of the American Farm Bureau 
Federation, which passionately supports this bill. So do the 
agricultural equipment manufacturers. So do the National Association of 
Counties. So do many other groups dedicated to agriculture, business, 
hunger prevention, and the health of rural America.
  That is because this legislation provides the immediate assistance 
and stability that farmers count on to keep feeding and supporting this 
country right now and because it will empower our farmers and ranchers 
to invest for the future.
  Chairman Roberts described this perfectly yesterday. Here is what he 
said: ``It takes the government providing tools and then getting out of 
the producers' way.''
  On the latter point, I am most excited about a provision in this bill 
that will clear the way for the legal farming of industrial hemp by 
removing current roadblocks that prevent farmers, in Kentucky and 
around the country, from capitalizing on this promising crop.
  Since the 1970s, except in a few limited cases, American farmers have 
not been able to grow industrial hemp in their fields. That doesn't 
mean consumers aren't buying hemp--far from it. Hemp is in everything 
from health products to home insulation. The global market for hemp is 
estimated to consist of more than 25,000 products. According to one 
estimate, back in 2016, U.S. retail sales of hemp products totaled 
approximately $688 million. Last year alone, Kentucky hemp recorded 
more than $16 million in product sales through the State's pilot 
program.

[[Page S4460]]

  So American consumers are buying hemp, but thanks to heavy-handed 
regulations, the only option at scale is importing hemp from foreign 
producers.
  Enough is enough. Industrial hemp is a completely different plant 
than its illicit cousin. It is time we get Washington out of the way 
and let American farmers meet the growing demand of American consumers.
  In the last farm bill, I championed a hemp pilot program that opened 
the door to some exploration. I recently heard from a fifth-generation 
Kentucky farmer from Garrard County who participates in the program. 
Here is what he said: ``We had no idea what it would turn into.'' He 
said: Growing hemp has been ``career-defining for me, beyond anything 
I'd ever imagined.''
  At a time when the farm economy is struggling, it is encouraging to 
hear such enthusiasm for a new potential cash crop.
  Another farmer from Marion County wrote and asked Congress to 
``continue your efforts until we can grow, research, and market this 
crop freely without undue restriction. We have barely scratched the 
surface of the countless benefits that come from this plant.''
  Hemp will be a bright spot for our future. It is full of economic 
potential in Kentucky and the Nation. So we should pass the farm bill 
without delay. Let's address farmers' immediate needs. Let's give them 
new tools to help secure their future. Let's get Washington out of the 
way in the cases where outdated policies are holding them back.
  The bill before us is a prime example of the good that can come when 
we work together. I look forward to the Senate passing it for 
Kentucky's farm families. So let's continue our work to get it done.

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