Bob Kerrey: “I thank Chairman Lugar. He has done great work in allowing the process to come forward and allowing suggestions on how…”

“I thank Chairman Lugar. He has done great work in allowing the process to come forward and allowing suggestions on how to improve crop insurance and make it more responsible. There has been some abuse of the program. Senator Roberts talked about it, and he has been a champion on that problem. We don't want a program that encourages people to farm for insurance rather than actually produce a crop. His suggestion to produce a program that gives people a variety of options that includes crop insurance, I think, is an improvement in the risk management offering to provide the farms and ranchers in the United States of America. I also thank Senator Leahy. I understand he spoke yesterday. In the Northeast, although there is only 2 percent of the farm land and 6 percent of the dollar value of crops produced on an annual basis, it is still important. There are farms in New Hampshire, Vermont, upstate New York, and New Jersey. They are concerned; they have expressed those concerns. We have taken their concerns into account. The House bill does not, I should point out to those from the Northeast. We have accommodated those concerns, unlike the House. You will see it if you look at the language of the legislation. I thank Senator Roberts. It has been fun working with him. I think we have produced a piece of legislation that will provide producers with what they have been asking for, at least in Nebraska--the most important.”