Liz Saville Roberts: “Everyone understands, on a bipartisan basis, I say to the distinguished Senator from Montana, that we are not in very…”

“Everyone understands, on a bipartisan basis, I say to the distinguished Senator from Montana, that we are not in very good shape with regard to farm country. It does not matter if you have been hit by hurricane, flood, or record-breaking drought. Last spring, I warned this is exactly what would happen because the current farm bill was structured to provide assistance to producers when they had a crop, but left them dangling in the Kansas, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Montana wind when there was no crop to harvest, not to mention other parts of the country suffering these kind of weather disasters. It seems to me, and maybe I took it a little personal, we will not get into partisanship because we have to accomplish some degree of relief, but I was criticized on the floor of the Senate last spring. They said I didn't know anything about agriculture because producers with high prices are just fine and need no Government assistance. Well, as everyone here knows, with the wheat, sorghum, corn, and soybean prices have experienced the highest levels in the last few years, but like most of the producers in Kansas or throughout the Great Plains or in other sections of the country, it does not do much good if all the producer had to harvest was a dust cloud. Prices are high because the drought cut production and supply. What are we going to do about this?”