[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 99 (Wednesday, June 12, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4028-S4029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Farm Bill

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, prior to breaking for the Memorial Day 
recess, the House Agriculture Committee did something few beltway 
pundits thought was possible. The committee approved, in a bipartisan 
manner, a farm bill that meets the needs of farmers, ranchers, 
foresters, rural communities, and consumers across America.
  I commend Chairman GT Thompson for his stewardship of this bill 
through an open process that let every committee member have a say in 
the bill.
  Likewise, I wanted to express my appreciation for each of the Members 
that voted to advance this legislation out of committee. Chairwoman 
Stabenow also recently released her farm bill framework, putting the 
Senate majority's priorities on paper and advancing the discussion 
forward.
  Cumulatively, these efforts exhibit the first real progress toward 
passage of a new farm bill since the process began 2 years ago. This 
week, Republicans on the Agriculture Committee are building on that 
momentum by releasing our farm bill framework.
  We believe that our framework reflects the Chamber's shared 
commitments across all 12 titles while putting more farm in the farm 
bill, something we have been calling for since the onset.
  Let's talk about what that means. It means we direct additional 
resources to the tools that farmers rely on and they are calling for us 
to invest in, while ensuring we do no harm to our

[[Page S4029]]

nutrition programs which account for over 80 percent of the bill's 
baseline spending.
  For example, we have doubled the funding for the farm bill's premier 
trade programs to help increase our competitiveness overseas. This is 
desperately needed considering we are projected to see a record $32 
billion agricultural trade deficit this year. U.S. farmers have been 
able to point to their positive trade balance in agriculture as a 
source of pride for the better part of the last 50 years as they worked 
to feed, clothe, and fuel the world.

  Unfortunately, this administration's refusal to engage on the issue 
has created an agricultural trade imbalance that is projected to reach 
record heights and is showing no signs of slowing. Our framework can 
help reverse this unsustainable trend.
  Another area where we double funding is agricultural research. Our 
public sector investment in agricultural research lags other developed 
economies and has fallen by more than a third over the past two 
decades. This is another concerning trend that our framework can help 
reverse.
  Agricultural research programs spur innovation and productivity, 
allowing farmers to produce more while using less and in an 
environmentally friendly manner, even as threats from pests and 
diseases and unpredictable weather become more common.
  Not only do our farmers gain in the long term, but our land-grant 
institutions and colleges of agriculture that conduct groundbreaking 
research see immediate benefits. This truly is a win-win investment.
  We also make a historic investment in the conservation title while 
ensuring programs remain locally led and flexible.
  Farmers, ranchers, and foresters have diverse conservation needs, and 
our framework reflects that, providing equity across practices to 
address drought, water quality, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, soil 
erosion, and climate resiliency, while continuing to provide for carbon 
sequestrating and greenhouse gas reducing practices.
  Our framework increases funding in the conservation title by more 
than 25 percent every single year moving forward, while making sure its 
programs continue to empower producers to make their best decisions to 
meet the resource concerns of their operation.
  Our farmers, ranchers, and foresters also need investments in the 
communities they call home, and our framework makes those too. It is no 
secret that rural America has seen more than its share of difficulties 
over the last several years.
  Recent census data shows that over half the Nation's rural counties 
have lost population in the last census. These communities must have 
the modern infrastructure necessary to attract and retain talent.
  Our framework offers help by making significant investments in small 
business development, broadband expansion, water and energy 
infrastructure programs, as well as funds to increase access to rural 
healthcare, childcare, and public safety.
  Most importantly, putting more farm in the farm bill requires a 
modernized farm safety net. We accomplish this by giving producers 
access to risk management tools that reflect the nature of the 
challenges under which they operate.
  As I have stressed before, this isn't an either-or decision, meaning 
farmers won't be forced to choose between crop insurance and vital 
title I programs. Our framework makes crop insurance more accessible 
and affordable and makes meaningful increases to statutory reference 
prices for all producers of all commodities in all regions.
  The safety net programs our farmers operate under right now are 
outdated. We cannot consider a farm bill that fails to recognize and 
protect farmers from the historic inflation and input costs they now 
face on the farm.
  The world, and agriculture in particular, are in a much different 
place today than they were during the last farm bill. Farmers are 
already experiencing unprecedented challenges and economic uncertainty 
for the crops they are sowing into the ground right now as we speak.
  This follows historic inflation, a record trade deficit, rising 
interest rates, devastating natural disasters, and geopolitical unrest 
that have shrunk the bottom line for farmers.
  Under this President, U.S. farmers have seen the largest decline in 
farm income of all time. And like I said, that is only expected to get 
worse if we fail to put more farm in the farm bill.
  In my home State of Arkansas, where agriculture accounts for about a 
quarter of the State's GDP, inflation-adjusted net farm income is 
expected to decline by more than 40 percent compared to 2 years ago.
  This trend is playing out across the Nation, which is why reference 
prices have been the top ask from farmers at the over 20 farm bill 
roundtables that my colleagues and I have held around the country.
  While each of these States have diverse agriculture economies, their 
refrain has been consistent. In fact, it was one of my earliest 
roundtables in North Dakota where the mantra of ``more farm in the farm 
bill'' was born. It wasn't a Republican Senator who first said that, it 
was a plea from a farmer. And that is what this is truly all about.
  Our farmers, ranchers, foresters, consumers, lenders, and other 
stakeholders helped us fashion a farm bill that meets their varying 
needs.
  It is a delicate balance made even more difficult this time around by 
the way actions taken outside of the farm bill have impacted our 
baseline. But on the Agriculture Committee, we have shown that we can 
come together to carry these heavy lifts across the finish line.
  I have been proud to partner with Chairwoman Stabenow to shepherd 
significant reforms into law on priority issues, particularly in the 
climate and nutrition spaces.
  Together, we worked to enact the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which 
makes it easier for producers to participate in emerging voluntary 
carbon credit markets. And we passed that bill with the support of over 
90 of our colleagues.
  In the nutrition space, we worked to pass the Keep Kids Fed Act, 
which extended needed flexibilities to schools and meal providers for 
an additional year at a time when supply chain breakdowns persisted and 
food costs soared because of inflation.
  Perhaps the thing that I am most proud of was our successful effort, 
working with Senator Stabenow under her leadership, to modernize the 
outdated summer meals program to reach more food-insecure children in 
both rural and urban communities, filling the gap children faced during 
the months when classes are out of session.
  Marking the first substantial reform to the summer meals program in 
over 60 years, this investment of over $20 billion ensures that 
children will never again face hunger in the summer months.
  That is what our work here is all about, identifying a problem and 
coming together to solve it. We have proven we can do that in the past. 
I believe with all of my heart that we can do it again by passing a 
bipartisan farm bill.
  I look forward to taking our two frameworks, forging a bipartisan 
farm bill, and passing it into law before the 118th session of Congress 
comes to a close.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators 
Hoeven, Barrasso, and Manchin be permitted to speak for 5 minutes each 
prior to the scheduled rollcall vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.