Mike Bost

For Congress' part, I believe it is our duty, our responsibility to hold the line on the farm bill and crop insurance.

As Chairman of this Committee, my concern goes out for every farmer and rancher in the country.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here.

The fear that we have on the other side of the Mississippi is the pressures that we're already feeling...

I want to commend you on the job that you've done there.

The concern I really have is for commerce for the United States because if that breaks through ...

I am very concerned that EPA has not been coordinating with USDA on matters crucial to farmers.

Resistance Management is a critical concern for all farmers.

The EPA used covert propaganda to bias and skew the comment period.

This rule can make us actually go backwards in--and we are eroding that partnership agreement that was set up in 1972 with the states.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the blessings of this day.

That is what we are needing to try to find out because our understanding is we are not supposed to be duplicative with this.

Let's shift. The Department of Commerce operates regional cluster initiatives, which received about $10 million in fiscal year 2015 and $15 million in fiscal year 2016.

As part of the omnibus legislation passed last year, Congress increased the leverage allowable to the SBICs from $225 million to $350 million.

If Committee members have any opening statement prepared, I ask that they submit them for the record.

This shows why rural economic development is so important to supporting agriculture.

The most important obligation we have is to keep Americans safe. As Paris has reminded us, there truly is evil in the world. We know that our seas and our borders alone will not protect us. We must act swiftly and smartly in the face of…

We would also like to commend Representatives Bost and Meng for introducing H.R. 3714, to modernize small business size standards for farmers and ranchers.

I want to thank you for bringing this up before the Subcommittee, and I would encourage everybody for an aye vote to try to move it on to the Full Committee.

Farming looks mighty easy when the plow is a pencil and you are a thousand miles from a corn field.

It seems to me that small farmers and ranchers have been neglected for too long.

It shouldn't happen.

VA has to figure out what type of sensible metrics will be used or Congress will make them up for you.

I simply don't understand why in the year 2015 we are still relying on the U.S. Postal Service or a fax machine to submit VA paperwork.

I think you'll see more of the small type of home builder re-enter the market and I think that ends up benefiting everyone.