[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7091-7092]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND AGRICULTURE DISASTER ASSISTANCE

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise to talk about the legislation we 
have just passed and to say to my colleagues there are provisions in 
the legislation for agriculture disaster that have been ridiculed in 
some circles. I would say that those who have ridiculed the notion of 
disaster assistance for our Nation's farmers are way off base, and they 
really do not know what they are talking about.
  I was extremely disappointed in the Secretary of Agriculture, who has 
suggested the only problem that farmers have is in the gulf of this 
country. Look, we recognize that no part of the country was harder hit 
by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita than the gulf region. And these 
legislative proposals that are in this bill will first and foremost 
help them because these are national provisions, these are not 
provisions just for one section of our country.
  But to suggest that nobody else in the country has had serious 
problems, that reflects an ignorance that ill becomes the Secretary of 
Agriculture, ill becomes a man who is supposed to be the spokesman for 
this Nation's farmers and ranchers.
  Yes, Hurricanes Rita and Katrina devastated the gulf, and they 
deserve first-priority consideration. But they were not the only ones 
hurt. Here are the headlines out of North Dakota: ``Rain Halts 
Harvest;'' ``North Dakota Receives Major Disaster Declaration;'' 
``Heavy Rain Leads To Crop Diseases;'' ``Beef Crop Could Be The 
Smallest In 10 Years;'' ``Crops, Hay Lost To Flooding;'' ``Rain Takes 
Its Toll On North Dakota Crops;'' ``Area Farmers Battle Flooding, 
Disease.''
  Those were the headlines all across my State last year.
  Shown on this chart are the number of counties in my State--they are 
the counties in yellow--that were given disaster designations by the 
President--by the President--last year. They are the counties in 
yellow. I say to the Presiding Officer, you will notice every single 
county was designated a disaster. Why? Because we had rainfall 250 
percent of normal. I do not know what is happening. Some say it is 
global climate change. Some say it is a weather cycle. I do not know. 
But I do know the result.
  The result is this, as shown in this picture: The result is farms all 
across North Dakota that looked like they were in the middle of lakes 
last year. This is what eastern North Dakota looked like last year, 
when we had a million acres of land that was even prevented from being 
planted--a million acres.
  The Secretary of Agriculture said there is no problem outside the 
gulf. Where has he been? Who is he listening to? Does he not do even 
the least amount of homework before he makes these statements? We need 
a new Secretary of Agriculture, if that is what he reports to the 
President.
  These are the acres prevented from being planted in North Dakota last 
year--over a million acres that could not even be planted--and this 
Secretary of Agriculture says there is no problem outside the Gulf 
States?
  Mr. Secretary, you ought to get with it. You ought to inform yourself 
before making such ridiculous statements.
  As shown in this picture, this is North Dakota last year. These are 
tractors stuck in the mud. They could not plant. And in hundreds of 
thousands of additional acres where they were able to plant, they got 
dramatically reduced production. In those places they got production, 
when they went to the elevator, they got dramatically discounted 
prices. Why? Because of a disaster of enormous consequence--no, not as 
severe as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, where there was loss of life, 
which we mourn along with those who lost loved ones. We absolutely 
respect that they had, by far, the biggest catastrophe. And this 
legislation will primarily help them.
  I am the author of this legislation. I had 27 cosponsors, on a 
bipartisan basis, in the Senate. When it was offered in the 
Appropriations Committee, it passed on a unanimous vote. When there was 
an attempt to take out this assistance on the floor of the Senate, 72 
Senators said: No, we are not going to take out disaster assistance for 
our Nation's farmers and ranchers. That was the right decision. And, 
yes, this should be national in scope because everyone who is an 
American who suffered a natural disaster deserves some assistance.
  Not only did farmers and ranchers suffer egregiously in different 
parts of the country from different types of natural disasters, but 
they were also hit with a second blow, and that was a dramatic runup in 
agricultural energy inputs. Every part of agriculture is dependent on 
inputs that are based on petroleum--whether it is fuel, with the cost 
up $3 billion; fertilizer, with the cost up $1.4 billion; marketing, 
storage, and transportation, with the cost up $400 million; 
electricity, with the cost up $200 million--with total energy-related 
costs up $5 billion in one year in agriculture.
  That had a devastating effect in my State. I just had a series of 
farm meetings in which farmers brought to me their operating 
statements--the difference between last year and this year--and income 
was cut in half--cut in half--in 1 year because of natural disasters, 
because of discounted prices, because of a failure to even be able to 
plant, and, on top of that, because of dramatically escalating energy 
prices.
  And we have a Secretary of Agriculture who says there is no problem 
outside the Gulf States? Excuse me, Mr. Secretary, where have you been? 
Shame on you for providing that kind of false statement to the American 
people.
  Here, shown on this chart, are the agricultural groups that endorsed 
the legislation, the disaster assistance that we passed--22 groups--the 
broad spectrum of American agriculture saying: Yes, disaster assistance 
is essential.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have this material printed 
in the Record listing the 22 groups.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                   April 25, 2006.
     Hon. Saxby Chambliss,
     Chairman, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, U.S. 
         Senate, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Thad Cochran,
     Chairman, Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Tom Harkin,
     Ranking Member, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry 
         Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Robert C. Byrd,
     Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Chambliss and Chairman Cochran, Senator 
     Harkin and Senator Byrd: On behalf of the below signed 
     organizations, we are writing to urge you to oppose any 
     efforts to delete the agricultural disaster assistance 
     provisions from the FY06 Emergency Supplemental 
     Appropriations bill when it is considered by the full Senate.
       Virtually every state in the nation has been impacted by 
     significant weather related and disaster losses. About 80 
     percent of U.S. counties were declared disaster or contiguous 
     disaster counties last year due to devastating hurricanes, 
     fires, floods, excessive moisture and severe drought. Besides 
     heavy

[[Page 7092]]

     crop and livestock losses and increased production costs 
     associated with rapidly escalating input costs, many 
     producers also face contaminated fields and infrastructure 
     losses that pose serious, long-term challenges to economic 
     recovery.
       We appreciate recent supplemental assistance offered to 
     help some of the victims of the 2005 hurricane season. 
     Unfortunately, this assistance is not available to all 
     farmers and ranchers who suffered devastating losses due to 
     hurricanes. Furthermore, none of the supplemental assistance 
     is available to producers who suffered significant economic 
     losses to crop and livestock operations as a result of fires, 
     flooding, drought, excessive moisture and the record-high 
     energy costs brought on by natural disasters.
       Because of the urgent need for disaster assistance and the 
     widespread losses which span the country, we believe the 
     provisions in the supplemental appropriations measure are 
     crafted in a manner that offers producers the combination of 
     supplemental direct assistance and production loss assistance 
     that is both timely and tailored to meet all disaster-related 
     losses. Many producers need assistance within weeks to repay 
     loans and secure new financing in time for spring planting, 
     so prompt action on this measure is vitally important given 
     that traditional production loss assistance can take up to 
     six months.
       Thank you for your consideration of our views.
           Sincerely,
       Agricultural Retailers Association.
       Alabama Peanut Producers Association.
       American Beekeeping Federation.
       American Farm Bureau Federation.
       American Sheep Industry Association.
       American Soybean Association.
       American Sugar Alliance.
       Farm Credit Council.
       Florida Peanut Producers Association.
       Georgia Peanut Commission.
       Independent Community Bankers of America.
       National Association of Wheat Growers.
       National Barley Growers Association.
       National Corn Growers Association.
       National Cotton Council.
       National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
       National Farmers Union.
       National Sorghum Producers.
       National Sunflower Association.
       Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
       USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council.
       USA Rice Federation.
       US Canola Association.
       US Rice Producers Association.
       Western Peanut Growers.

  Mr. CONRAD. Maybe the Secretary of Agriculture might want to inform 
himself of what has been said.
  Finally, I have a letter from the State agriculture commissioners 
telling us, unanimously, disaster assistance was necessary and needed.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the letter be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                       The National Association of


                             State Departments of Agriculture,

                                   Washington, DC, April 20, 2006.
     Members of the U.S. Senate.
       Dear Senator:  I am writing on behalf of the state 
     commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture to 
     express our strong support for emergency disaster assistance 
     for farmers and ranchers as agreed to by the Senate 
     Appropriations Committee in H.R. 4939, the FY 2006 Emergency 
     Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War 
     on Terror and Hurricane Recovery (report 109-230) Assistance 
     is necessary to help farmers, ranchers and their communities 
     recoup from financial losses due to-hurricanes, drought, 
     fires, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters.
       Nearly all states have been affected by natural disasters 
     and in turn many farms and ranches across this country have 
     suffered losses and damages. About 80 percent of U.S. 
     counties were declared disaster or contiguous disaster 
     counties in the last year. While there are risk management 
     programs, such as crop insurance, disaster loans, and 
     emergency grazing; the relief needed greatly exceeds the 
     levels these programs can provide. Supplemental assistance is 
     being offered to farmers and ranchers harmed by the 2005 
     hurricane season, however, not all producers will be able to 
     attain the necessary levels of assistance to return to viable 
     production levels.
       In addition, the weather-related damages and losses in 
     agriculture have significantly affected specialty crop 
     producers and nursery businesses. States appreciate the 
     provision that also provides grants to states that can be 
     used to provide economic assistance to agricultural 
     producers, and gives priority to the support of specialty 
     crops and livestock. This section demonstrates how the 
     federal government and states can partner with one another in 
     directing assistance to those who need it most.
       We understand that the Senate will consider this 
     legislation when they return from the Easter Recess NASDA 
     strongly urges your prompt action and support of this 
     emergency assistance. We look forward to working with you and 
     your staff on this issue so important to agriculture.
           Sincerely,
                                          J. Carlton Courter, III,
                                    Commissioner, NASDA President.

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I hope the Secretary of Agriculture gets 
the message--gets the message--disaster assistance is needed in this 
country.
  I thank the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I would like to speak in morning business 
and ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 10 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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