Liz Saville Roberts: “I am supportive of a tobacco buyout for our tobacco producers and quota holders, and I will work to help them achieve…”

“I am supportive of a tobacco buyout for our tobacco producers and quota holders, and I will work to help them achieve this goal. However, it should be a buyout without strings attached and that will truly end the program. Unfortunately, this legislation does not achieve this goal. While the bill does provide a buyout, it then implements annual restrictions on acreage and production. I have previously stated on this floor my opposition to acreage and production controls for all crops and commodity programs. This program should be no different. I am also concerned that these acreage controls may not be legal under our World Trade Organization commitments. If these controls would indeed be declared illegal under our commitments, we could be subject to a ruling that would put us far above our WTO agriculture spending caps. This would not only have significant impacts for tobacco and this program, it could have a significant impact on all our commodities and farm programs. I cannot support voting for this proposal and putting all our other commodities at risk.”