Max Baucus: “I think the growing support indicates we should adopt this amendment. There may be a point of order raised. It would be…”

“I think the growing support indicates we should adopt this amendment. There may be a point of order raised. It would be a technicality. I hope if that is raised, Senators will vote to waive that point of order so we can help some people in America, farmers and ranchers in various States all around our country, who have suffered from drought disasters or, as in the case in North Dakota--it is very interesting--from flood disaster. It was very sad listening to Senator Conrad speak about North Dakota, how part of the State has been devastated by flooding, with 18 inches of rain in 1 day, if you can believe it. The average annual rainfall in the upper plains States is about 14 inches a year. They had 18 inches in 1 day. That is in one part of North Dakota. In another part of North Dakota, they have had the worst drought he has said he has seen in his lifetime. I might say, the condition is somewhat similar to that in Montana. Northeast Montana is getting a little more moisture than it usually gets, but southwest Montana is getting a lot less than it normally gets. It is hard to know where we are going to get drought and where we are not. But there is drought. We are asking to use the formulas that are in the law; that is, the Emergency Livestock Feed Program and the Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Let's use the formulas in the law. If they need disaster assistance, we should give it to them.”