Mitch Landrieu: “after two and a half months of debate on the economic and disaster crisis facing rural America and thousands of farm…”

“after two and a half months of debate on the economic and disaster crisis facing rural America and thousands of farm families, we are voting on a measure that provides $4.2 billion in economic relief to our farmers. During the course of this debate, we have heard from our Democratic Leader, who I want to commend for his leadership on this issue, our President, and many others who believe that much more assistance is needed to adequately address the serious situation facing rural America. I fully agree that the relief provided in this legislation is far less than meaningful for Louisiana and other Southern states who are suffering one of the worst droughts in 100 years. Already, we have thousands of farmers whose crops and pasture land have been burnt up by the heat and an estimated $450 million in crop losses in Louisiana alone. These same farmers are also facing some of the worst commodity prices in over a decade. Not only are Louisiana farmers hit with low prices, they also have no crop. Therefore, I have argued and strongly supported additional funding to address this crisis. This funding is justified and should be provided. However, Mr. President, we also have a conference report before us, a bill that provides a total of $55.7 billion in essential funding for some very important agriculture, rural development, and nutrition programs. Additionally, included in this measure is over $25 million for much needed research and education projects in Louisiana.”