[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10551-10552]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     SPEAKING OUT FOR RURAL AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, tonight we would like to pay 
tribute to rural America and to particularly highlight the efforts of 
the 140-member Congressional Rural Caucus. We have pledged ourselves to 
having attempts to preserve rural America, and I commend my cochairman 
of this caucus, the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson), and the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) for their leadership and 
dedication to the rural caucus on issues that matter to rural residents 
across this country.
  Our job as members of the Congressional Rural Caucus is to promote 
economic and social policies that support the continued viability of 
our rural communities. In many instances throughout my State of Kansas 
our rural communities continue to struggle. We continue to see 
populations in once-thriving communities decline across the Great 
Plains. Of 105 Kansas counties, 61 have smaller populations today than 
in 1900; 82 Kansas counties have lost population since just 10 years 
ago; and 65 counties are predicted to lose population in the next 10 
years.
  Kansas communities are confronted with serious challenges of 
prosperity and survival. While working on the farm bill, Mr. Speaker, 
we hope there will be a strong component for rural development in that 
farm bill. And as parts of the rural caucus, I chair the task force on 
telecommunications. Seems awfully important for us to make certain that 
the provisions that are often available in more urban areas of our 
country are made available in rural communities as well. Our 
communities' survival depend upon access to increasing technology.
  Mr. Speaker, by providing one voice for rural America, the 
Congressional Rural Caucus will ensure that rural communities will 
remain viable and competitive. Our job in Congress is to raise the 
awareness of rural issues and to preserve that way of life. As Congress 
debates important issues like

[[Page 10552]]

rural development in the farm bill, and access to telecommunication 
technologies, we must address the opportunities and challenges that we 
face in rural America.
  Rural Americans across the country need us to demonstrate our 
commitment for a better quality of life, and I urge my colleagues to 
join us in this fight and to speak out for rural America.
  Mr. REHBERG. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. I yield to the gentleman from Montana.
  Mr. REHBERG. Mr. Speaker, agriculture is the number one industry in 
the State of Montana. That is why the two pieces of legislation I 
introduced, along with the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. Thune) and 
the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson) are so important to me and 
to rural America.
  The heart of America is her rural communities. The Montana farmers 
and ranchers who work the soil understand that our State's motto, Oro Y 
Plato, gold and silver, is truly the gold of ripe wheat fields and the 
silver of water resources. The harvest of the farmer and rancher 
translate into the gold and silver of economic health in rural 
communities.
  Families spanning generations have sustained themselves in 
agriculture, but it is no longer feasible. The past few years have 
brought disasters and record low prices to the ag economy. While safety 
nets are important to producers, especially in lean years, America's 
farmers and ranchers do not want to be dependent upon the government. 
So we must develop a long-term market-oriented approach to Federal farm 
policy to give producers the tools to help themselves and at the same 
time to bring much-needed economic growth to their communities. Short-
term financial aid is helpful; but long-term planning, along with 
creative, innovative opportunities, are vital lest America's rural 
families lose their farms and small towns die with them.
  We need to encourage producers to add value to their product. Value-
added ventures will enable producers to reach up the marketing chain 
and capture profits generated from processing their raw commodities. 
Two barriers prevent producers from pooling together and adding value 
to their products: first, though farmers are experts in their own 
fields, often they do not have the technical expertise needed to launch 
complex value-added business ventures; second, producers are strapped 
for cash. Even if they had enough capital to initiate development of 
value-added processing, many of the combined players in the market 
could squeeze producer-owned entities out before they become 
profitable. Something needs to be done to level the field for 
producers.
  Developing value-added agricultural industries will bring increased 
economic development along with the spirit of hope to Montana and other 
rural States. And that is good for our pocketbooks, it is good for our 
communities, and it is good for our quality of life.

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