[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 18, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2556-S2557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Agriculture

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, farming and ranching are industries that 
are particularly subject to the whims of the weather. Just one storm 
can wipe out an entire herd or crop, sometimes in a matter of minutes.
  Last Thursday, several storms struck eastern South Dakota and farmers 
were hit hard. Fortunately, it was too early in the season to wipe out 
any crops, but farmers lost essential equipment and resources, feed, 
grain bins, outbuildings, and more.
  My office will be doing everything it can to make sure those affected 
get the assistance they need to recover, and I know many are already 
planning to rebuild. Whether it is a natural disaster or an ordinary 
day, farmers and ranchers are always at the top of my mind here in the 
Senate. Agriculture is the lifeblood of our South Dakota economy, and I 
am committed to doing everything I can to ensure that our farmers and 
ranchers have the resources they need to help feed our country.
  I am fortunate enough to be a long-time member of the Senate 
Agriculture Committee, which gives me an important platform in which to 
address the needs of South Dakota ag producers. Right now, a big focus 
of mine is the 2023 farm bill.
  I have already held the first of a series of roundtables to hear from 
South Dakota farmers and ranchers about what they need out of the 2023 
farm bill. And I have introduced the first of what will be a number of 
proposals

[[Page S2557]]

that I hope to get included in next year's legislation.
  My Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act, which I introduced 
in March, would make CRP grazing a more attractive option by providing 
cost-share payments for all CRP practices for the establishment of 
grazing infrastructure, including fencing and water distribution.
  It would also increase the annual payment limit for CRP, which hasn't 
been changed since 1985, to help account for inflation and the increase 
in land value.
  I am also working with colleagues from agriculture States on 
legislation based on my conversations with South Dakota farmers and 
ranchers. In fact, last week I joined Senator Klobuchar to introduce 
the Agriculture Innovation Act.
  Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture collects reams of data 
on conservation practices. The problem is that a lot of this data is 
often not analyzed and presented in a way that would be useful for 
farmers and ranchers.
  The legislation Senator Klobuchar and I have introduced would provide 
for better processing and development of the data that the USDA 
collects so that farmers and ranchers can evaluate the impact of 
conservation and other production practices on things like soil health, 
crop yields, and profitability.
  Our bill would make it easier for farmers and ranchers to decide what 
conservation practices to adopt by, among other things, helping 
producers identify the ways adopting conservation practices can improve 
their bottom line.
  And Senator Klobuchar and I will be working to get this legislation 
included in the 2023 farm bill. In addition to farm bill priorities, I 
have been spending a lot of time focused on agriculture and trade. Our 
nation's farmers and ranchers already send their products around the 
globe. But with Russia's war in Ukraine and its devastating impact on 
Ukrainian agriculture, American ag producers are facing an added 
responsibility when it comes to feeding the world.
  Unfortunately, for some time now I have been hearing reports of ocean 
carriers refusing to transport American agricultural products. This 
would be a difficult situation at any time as export markets around the 
world are critically important to American producers, but it is 
particularly painful at a time when inflation is soaring and the supply 
chain is under significant strain and when there is an increased need 
to get American agricultural products abroad--thanks to the war in 
Ukraine. And that is why I introduced legislation, the Ocean Shipping 
Reform Act, to address these kinds of shipping problems and create a 
more level playing field for American agricultural producers.
  My bipartisan legislation would give the Federal Maritime Commission 
increased authority to respond to unfair ocean carrier practices, 
whether that involves a refusal to carry certain cargo, like 
agricultural commodities, or discriminating against certain commodities 
for export.
  It would also provide the FMC with tools to more quickly resolve 
attention and demurrage disputes, which would bring greater efficiency 
and transparency to a process that leaves many shippers frustrated, 
especially agriculture producers and other small businesses.
  I was very pleased that the Senate passed my bill at the end of 
March, and I am working with my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to advance this legislation so we can get it to the 
President's desk.
  I also recently led a letter with 23 of my Senate Republican 
colleagues to the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of 
Agriculture, urging them to prioritize increased access to foreign 
markets for American producers, including--and especially--American ag 
producers.
  Unfortunately, the Biden administration has not made market access 
commitments a priority in its trade agenda, including the proposed 
Indo-Pacific economic framework. And the administration has failed to 
pursue any ambitious market-opening initiatives or comprehensive trade 
agreements.
  Trade has played a large part in America's economic success for 
decades, and it is critical for American ag producers who depend on 
exporting their products. It is unacceptable that the administration 
has dropped the ball in pursuing increased market access for American 
producers.
  I am also less than impressed by the President's failure to put 
forward a confirmable nominee for the post of Chief Agricultural 
Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
  And while the President has finally put forward a nominee for Under 
Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the Department 
of Agriculture, it has taken him far too long to fill this position, 
which plays a critical role in advocating for American producers when 
it comes to world trade.
  I pressed the U.S. Trade Representative on the administration's 
failure to prioritize a meaningful trade and agricultural agenda during 
a recent Finance Committee hearing, and I will continue to maintain 
pressure on the administration to expand export opportunities for our 
Nation's workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses.
  Our Nation depends on our farmers and ranchers, and I am profoundly 
grateful for all the determined men and women who have chosen and 
passed on this way of life. I am honored to represent South Dakota's 
farmers and ranchers here in the Senate, and I will continue to do 
everything I can to ensure that they have all the resources they need 
to continue to feed our Nation and the world.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Connecticut.