[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13586]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230
                       AMERICA NEEDS A FARM BILL

  (Mr. WELCH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELCH. Madam Speaker, America needs a farm bill. The Senate has 
passed a farm bill. The House Agriculture Committee on a bipartisan 
basis has passed a farm bill, and that is not being brought to the 
floor for a vote.
  We have a drought. It's the worst that we've seen in 50 years. We've 
got nutrition programs that need to be funded. We have environmental 
and conservation programs that need to be revised and passed. We have 
farmers across this land whose goal is to feed America, and they need a 
farm bill.
  Never in the history of the United States Congress has a farm bill 
passed by the House Agriculture Committee not been brought to the floor 
for a vote. There's no question that a farm bill is contentious. It 
always is. But with Frank Lucas and Collin Peterson, Republican leader 
and Democratic leader, and the Agriculture Committee working together, 
we got a bipartisan vote. Why is this not being brought to the floor?
  That it's difficult is not a reason not to do it. Bring a farm bill 
and pass it.

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