Kevin Roberts: “I rise this afternoon, along with my distinguished colleague and the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture…”

“I rise this afternoon, along with my distinguished colleague and the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, to discuss the farm bill conference report--the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. I am grateful that my colleagues approved this measure with strong support. The vote was 87 to 13 earlier this week. I also applaud Members of the House for following suit with a similarly strong vote yesterday, and we look forward to the President signing the conference report into law soon. The level of support is what happens when the Congress works in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion. Senator Stabenow and I started by listening to producers in Manhattan, KS, and then in Michigan. We continued to listen to stakeholders from all over the country. This is a good bill that accomplishes what producers asked us to do--first we listened; then they asked--to provide certainty and predictability for farmers and families in our rural communities. The 2018 farm bill meets the needs of producers across all regions and all crops. It doesn't matter what you grow, and it doesn't matter whether you grow it in Kansas or elsewhere in this country--this bill is designed to work for you. It ensures that our voluntary conservation programs will keep farmland in operation while protecting our agricultural lands, forests, and other natural resources.…”