[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 193 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H9695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FARM BILL IMPACT SERIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cuellar). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to deliver the closing 
installment of my farm bill impact series for the 117th Congress. In 
2022, I delivered 15 speeches on this House floor about various farm 
bill programs and titles that I believe Congress must understand and 
support ahead of the 2023 reauthorization.
  In Congress, we deal with the laws of the land--and that is 
important--but farmers are the caretakers of the land itself. Farmers 
built our history, sustain our present, and secure our future. They 
deserve the unwavering support of Congress in the form of legislation 
that supports their tireless efforts to feed, fuel, and clothe the 
world. That means keeping crop insurance strong, supporting robust 
trade programs, and ensuring that producers are not being hamstrung by 
burdensome overregulation.
  Early in my speech series, I highlighted crop insurance first. 
Keeping this program strong is my highest priority for the 2023 farm 
bill. Crop insurance helps producers manage the risks that they face 
every day from weather, pests, disease, and market volatility. It is 
also a great example of a successful public-private partnership. 
Agricultural producers have a fickle partner in Mother Nature, who 
doesn't always cooperate, and crop insurance helps producers stay 
afloat when disaster strikes.

  Shortly after my crop insurance speech, I spoke about trade programs 
which serve to spearhead innovative market access, new market 
development, and promote agricultural sales overseas. Each year $140 
billion worth of agricultural products are exported. My State of Kansas 
is known as the Wheat State, and 50 percent of all wheat sold in the 
U.S. is exported. So Congress must think critically and carefully about 
the international components of the trade title. Trade programs, which 
have longstanding records of success in America, also represent the 
partnership between the public and private sectors of our country, just 
like crop insurance.
  The biggest threat to American agriculture, however, isn't a scarcity 
of natural resources or bad weather, but Federal Government overreach. 
The Biden administration has tried to dismantle the stepped-up basis 
and impose a farm killer capital gains tax on American producers that 
would destroy thousands of family farms overnight; the definition of 
waters of the U.S. keeps changing, and now the Federal Government would 
like to tell farmers what to do with their puddles; animals, like the 
lesser prairie-chicken, are being added to the endangered species list; 
and fertilizer and other inputs--even if you can get them--are often so 
expensive that they can't be afforded by agricultural producers. 
Government overreach has created a tornado of chaos, and my producers 
are in its path of destruction.
  Mr. Speaker, I am standing here today, and will continue to stand 
here, advocating for American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural 
producers because they are the lifeblood of this country. They keep us 
fed, fueled, and clothed. And they have earned the unwavering support 
of Congress.
  I will be delivering more installments of my farm bill impact series 
in the 118th Congress, and I look forward to the 2023 reauthorization 
of the farm bill because it is an opportunity for Congress to say 
unequivocally that we stand with our farmers.


              Recognizing Legislative Assistant Cale Beam

  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank Cale Beam 
for his service to me, my office, and the great people of the First 
District of Kansas.
  Cale was on my team since my first day in Congress, and he has 
consistently brought an eloquent and thoughtful approach to his 
research, writing, and recommendations. He has a genuine and kind 
spirit, a clever sense of humor, and a wisdom that is beyond his years.
  I am so excited to see what lies ahead for Cale, and I know that with 
his skill set, he will go far.
  Cale, like me, is a man of faith. I want to send him off on his new 
adventure with these two brief thoughts from the Scriptures.
  First, God works all things to good for those who love Him.
  Second, delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the 
desires of your heart.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Cale. My first session in Congress would not 
have been the same without him. I will miss him, and I wish him all the 
best with his new pursuit.

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