Amy Klobuchar: “this afternoon the 2013 farm bill conference committee will finally convene for the first time, bringing us one step…”

“this afternoon the 2013 farm bill conference committee will finally convene for the first time, bringing us one step closer to finishing the farm bill. I know the Presiding Officer, being from Wisconsin, understands how important this is to our country's future, and certainly the farmers, businesses, and families in Minnesota understand how important this bill is. We have waited a long time to go to this conference committee. The Senate has passed two farm bills now that continue the strong policies of the last farm bill but in fact reduce the debt by $24 billion over the farm bill that is currently in place. I am part of the group that negotiated the details of the bill to help finish the process which started over 2 years ago. Before I go on about the details of the Senate bill, I thank Chairman Stabenow for her incredible leadership and perseverance in getting us to this point that has been so long awaited. Under Chairman Stabenow's leadership, the Senate Agriculture Committee put together a farm bill that strengthens the safety net for our Nation's farmers and ranchers, reforms and streamlines our agriculture, conservation, and nutrition programs while still keeping them strong, and, as I mentioned, reduces $24 billion from the Nation's debt. Throughout the process we faced unprecedented challenges and delay.…”