[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H5941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FARM BILL IMPACT SERIES NO. 24: FIVE-YEAR FARM BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of 
reauthorizing a 5-year farm bill. America's farmers, ranchers, and 
agricultural producers deserve it; America's food and national security 
depend on it; and Congress must deliver it.
  It has been said that the farm bill is like a Swiss Army knife: It 
does a little bit of everything. This 5-year bill tackles the whole 
scope of American food and agriculture policy, addressing things like 
how we conserve our resources to how we support research from our land 
grant universities to how we keep people fed.
  Since it is a 5-year bill, the farm bill is long enough to provide 
certainty to ag producers, and it is short enough for Congress to 
respond to market changes and strengthen the farm safety net 
accordingly.
  The farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers that provide us all 
with food, fuel, and fiber deserve a 5-year bill. The last farm bill 
was signed into law on December 20, 2018. That legislation was put in 
place to respond to the needs of producers at that time.
  Since 2018, a lot has changed. We had a global pandemic that 
devastated the supply chain. War broke out between Russia and Ukraine, 
one of the top wheat-producing countries in the world. The Biden 
administration's failed trade agenda and delayed appointment of trade 
officials resulted in unprecedented market fluctuation. The list goes 
on and on, and we haven't even mentioned inflation or drought 
conditions yet.
  Since 2018, when the last farm bill was signed, input costs on the 
farm have skyrocketed. At one point in 2022, when inflation was at its 
worst, fertilizer prices were up 222 percent, and diesel fuel prices 
were up 115 percent. For the producers whose operations even survived 
through that time, they are still shouldering the burden of an 80 
percent increase in fertilizer costs compared to 2018 and diesel that 
costs $4.50 per gallon today compared to $3 per gallon in 2018. If you 
hear people talking about how input costs and inflation are coming 
down, it is an illusion if you compare it to 2018 when Congress signed 
the last farm bill.
  Our national and global security depend on a new farm bill. Ninety 
years ago, Congress recognized the importance of protecting and 
strengthening America's food security, on which our national security 
depends. That is why the farm bill exists.

  We cannot afford to have ag producers going out of business because 
of one bad crop year. Crop insurance helps us avoid that, and this 
year's wheat harvest in Kansas is a perfect example of why the program 
is so important.
  In 2023, drought and market conditions caused producers to abandon 
the highest number of acres of wheat since World War I. Right now, crop 
insurance is helping thousands of producers keep their operations 
afloat until next year when they roll the dice again with Mother Nature 
and put their livelihoods on the line, all so that we can have stocked 
grocery shelves.
  Crop insurance is one of the most successful public-private 
partnerships we have. I have said all along that my top priority for 
the farm bill is to strengthen and maintain it. If we make any changes 
to crop insurance, we need to use a scalpel and not a sledgehammer. It 
is the most cost-effective way to deliver a safe, steady, robust food 
supply.
  Trade and trade promotion also help America remain competitive and 
secure, and our trade programs are authorized through the farm bill. 
Back in February, I introduced the Agriculture Export Promotion Act, 
which would allocate additional resources to the Market Access Program 
and the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program for 5 years.
  Trade programs, which have longstanding records of success in 
America, represent the partnership between the public and private 
sectors of our country. These programs are essential because they 
spearhead innovative market access and new market development and 
promote agricultural sales overseas.
  Between 1977 and 2019, USDA export promotion programs added 13.7 
percent of additional export revenue, or nearly $648 billion, to the 
value of U.S. agricultural exports. These programs also created almost 
a quarter of a million American jobs between 2012 and 2019 alone.
  The return on investment from private-sector contributions, which 
accounted for roughly 75 percent of export promotion between 2013 to 
2019, is unparalleled. They must be addressed in a 5-year farm bill.
  American agricultural producers already face endless hurdles as they 
work tirelessly to feed, fuel, and clothe the world, and a 5-year farm 
bill is our chance to support them with the tools they need to protect 
the future of America's food and agriculture.
  As we work toward this, Congress must be brave enough to have 
difficult conversations and make smart compromises. If we aren't 
willing to do that, American agricultural producers will suffer the 
consequences.
  If you think about a safety net, the higher the risk, the higher the 
fall, and the stronger the safety net that you need to survive. 
Producers' risk levels are at an all-time high because of inflation and 
input costs, which have shrunk their margins dramatically.
  The livelihoods of American producers and consumers are on the line 
right now, and that means our food security and national security are 
on the line, too. America's farmers, ranchers, and agricultural 
producers need certainty like never before, and Congress must deliver 
for them with a 5-year farm bill.

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