Liz Saville Roberts: “this amendment threatens to undermine and kill the Crop Insurance Program so vital to farmers and ranchers. The…”

“this amendment threatens to undermine and kill the Crop Insurance Program so vital to farmers and ranchers. The amendment does not take into account the real world expenses of industry, including the list of the private reinsurers which ensures that the taxpayers do not pick up the risk. If we endanger this program, many farmers, especially young farmers, will be in danger because their lenders and their landlords demand they sign up for crop insurance. This is a genuine Kent Conrad chart, the veracity of which is unquestioned. If we look back to 1980, when I first had the privilege of coming to Congress, we had 64 crop insurance companies. We can see what has happened every decade as we further cut investment in crop insurance. We are down to 16. We had a reform with Bob Kerrey in 2000. We expanded it all over the country. If this amendment is adopted, I am telling my colleagues, it isn't going to be 16, it is going to be 5. Don't support this amendment.”