CONGRESSMAN
COLLIN C. PETERSON
Minnesota - 7th
District http://www.house.gov/collinpeterson/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 5, 2001
CONTACT: Rob Larew/202-225-2165 or Allison Myhre/218-847-5056
Ten-year farm bill clears
House
(WASHINGTON, DC) –
Emphasizing a balanced package for all farmers,
Congressman Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn) on Friday announced that the U.S.
House of Representatives passed the Farm Security Act by a vote of 291-120. “Today’s passage of the farm bill is good news for
American Agriculture and especially Minnesota’s farmers,” Peterson said.
According to Peterson,
the House farm bill maintains a safety net for producers and creates
counter-cyclical assistance. “What farmers need most right now is
certainty and flexibility,” Peterson said. “I believe the House bill
serves both and is a good start.”
The bill provides more
than $73 billion in additional money for programs and assistance to
agriculture over the next ten years. While securing funding for dairy, rural
development, nutrition, trade promotion, conservation and forestry, the bill
also includes provisions for grain farmers to update their base acres and to
provide counter-cyclical support based on target prices. Transition payments
will continue at the 2002 levels.
Among the noteworthy
amendments offered in Thursday’s floor debate was an attempt by the
environmental community to lower the support for grain farmers in order to
pay for new environmental programs. Peterson and others successfully
defeated the amendment by arguing that farmers cannot practice conservation
without first having an adequate safety net.
The Farm Security Act
included an 80 percent increase in conservation spending. The increased
funding in current programs was possible in part by Peterson. Serving as a
leader of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Blue Dog
Agriculture Task Force, Peterson worked closely with the committee to
increase CRP acreage and strengthen other programs. “ I concentrated my
conservation efforts on supporting the proven programs that we know work. I
am not anxious to develop huge new bureaucratic conservation programs that
are untested and, potentially harmful to farmers,” Peterson said.
Another effort to
weaken the no-cost sugar program was soundly defeated. “Candy companies
have been trying for years to put America’s sugar industry out of
business,” Peterson said. “Every attempt has failed.”
Finally, the Northeast
Dairy Compact proponents tried to introduce an amendment in an attempt to
force a vote creating compacts throughout the nation. The amendment was
ruled out of order. “We had a busy day of amendments,” Peterson said.
“I think those of us representing farm country were encouraged today by
our allies in the urban areas. We formed a strong coalition in opposition to
damaging amendments and in support of our nations farmers.”
“The Farm Security
Act is the end-product of a two-year process we worked on to meet the many
different needs of agriculture. Although
we are not finished, I am pleased with the effort to date,” Peterson said.
“I am particularly pleased that the farm bill includes a 80 percent
increase in conservation funding benefiting all farmers. For dairy farmers,
the dairy price support program, set to expire at the end of this year, was
extended for ten years.”
Peterson also noted
that the farm bill is still under discussion with further changes expected.
“The current farm bill is a nice balance, but we will continue to
improve upon it. I’ll
continue to work to make the bill as farmer-friendly as possible in order
provide the assistance needed in Minnesota,” Peterson said. “I urge my
colleagues in the Senate to act swiftly this year to finish work on the farm
bill so that our farmers can plan ahead for production and conservation in
the coming years.”
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