Glenn Thompson: “I thank the chairman of the Agriculture Committee so much for yielding, and for his tireless work on this important…”

“I thank the chairman of the Agriculture Committee so much for yielding, and for his tireless work on this important legislation in order to support rural America and our most vulnerable. Over the past 3 years, the Agriculture Committee has spent countless hours talking with constituents, performing outreach, and holding hearings with stakeholders to see how we can improve upon the 2014 farm bill. Contrary to the claims of some, this legislation was not created in the dead of night or without input from my friends across the aisle. Mr. Chairman, I have before me a letter that was sent to Chairman Conaway and Ranking Member Peterson with priorities identified by the Democratic Members that I am proud to serve with on the Agriculture Committee. I am proud to see--under nutrition specifically--all of these, and I believe all of these titles, these priorities were incorporated into the farm bill. Over this 3-year period, we held 21 hearings and heard from 81 witnesses at the Nutrition Subcommittee alone. Members of the Agriculture Committee traveled to every corner of the country to participate in listening sessions and obtain vital input from our farmers, our ranchers, and our growers. As the farm bill was in development at the committee, every Member had the opportunity to provide input and that input was considered during this process. Yet, even with an open process, no amendments were offered during the committee markup by my friends across the aisle.…”