On the recordMay 21, 2013
Thomas Jefferson once said: ``Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.'' I know many Montana farmers and ranchers who understand that exactly. They know what Jefferson meant. They work the soils and tend their herds month after month, often through natural disasters such as the drought we had in 2012. It is hard work, but they do it because it is work worth doing. The dirt under their nails and the sweat on their brow puts food on our tables every day. The farm bill supports that effort, the bill before us this afternoon. It is work worth doing. Make no mistake, the farm bill is a jobs bill. It supports 16 million American jobs every year. In my State of Montana, one in every five jobs is tied to agriculture. Those jobs are counting on us to get this bill done. As we work to tackle the debt, it is important to remember the farm bill cuts spending by $23 billion. The farm bill is part of the solution, not part of the problem. Under the leadership of Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Cochran, we have crafted a true reform farm bill. We worked with farmers and ranchers across the country to create a farm policy that works for producers and taxpayers both. It provides support that is needed when they actually experience a loss. As Will Rogers notably said: ``The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer.'' Farming is capital intensive. Farmers work with paper-thin profit margins.…
