Tom Latham: “I rise in support of the agriculture appropriations conference agreement. This agreement will keep America's family…”

“I rise in support of the agriculture appropriations conference agreement. This agreement will keep America's family farms afloat, fund critical research and protect the environment in some of our most fragile regions. Furthermore, this legislation includes language that dramatically improves competition for livestock producers. Thanks to the cooperation of the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) and determined colleagues in the Senate, in the other body, we were able to include mandatory price reporting for livestock in this package. This legislation will contribute to our efforts to revive the current farm economy. As anyone in Iowa can tell you, the difficulties associated with low grain prices have been compounded by low livestock prices to a devastating level last December and January. Today, America's farmers want to know if they are receiving fair compensation for their hard work. With this agreement, we have made the first step in assuring that they can. It is important that accurate information be available to the livestock industry in order for competitive markets to function properly.”