Jerry Moran: “the Washington Post headlines trumpets good news. The economy outpaces growth forecasts, the stock market is up…”

“the Washington Post headlines trumpets good news. The economy outpaces growth forecasts, the stock market is up, unemployment is down and prices from the grocery store to the gas pump are low and stable. The conventional wisdom is that life in America is as good as it gets, and perhaps for some Americans it is. But behind the statistics lies pockets in this country where the economic lives of our citizens are not so good. I rise today on behalf of the citizens of rural Kansas, the farmers and ranchers, the independent oil producers, senior citizens on fixed income and communities leaders struggling to hold on to essential services. These folks take little comfort in government statistics showing how good the economy is doing. In rural Kansas times are tough. Agriculture, still our economic base, is caught in a vice grip of depressed prices. Even our most diversified operators are struggling as prices for almost everything we produce in Kansas, cattle, corn, wheat, hogs, milo, soybeans, are all at historic lows. The new Census of Agriculture shows Kansas has 1,685 fewer farms this year than just 5 years ago. USDA reports that net farm income will be down for the third year in a row, and exports are reduced as well. The President's new budget fails to address the difficulties in agriculture.”