[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 149 (Friday, September 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        UPDATE THE EQIP PROGRAM

  (Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER. Mr. Speaker, as the farm bill conference 
committee begins their negotiations, I rise today to urge conferees to 
include a provision important to Delaware farmers.
  Many of our farmers utilize cost share programs under the 
Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP. The program 
provides growers with funds to make necessary farm improvements, while 
also mitigating environmental risks.
  Farmers know what they need. They should be able to access these 
funds when they anticipate a problem, not after one has cropped up. 
That is why, this morning, I join my Delaware colleagues, Senators 
Carper and Coons, in urging the farm bill conference committee to 
include updates to the EQIP program so farmers can get access to the 
funds sooner, reducing their costs and environmental footprint, while 
promoting stewardship of our cherished farmland.
  Tweaking the EQIP program may seem like a small change, but it 
produces big wins for Delaware's farmers and our environment. I urge my 
colleagues to include this language in the conference report.

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