Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 6233, the supplemental agriculture disaster assistance bill. As we look across the United States, many areas, including South Dakota, are facing a serious drought. While many of our producers are covered by crop insurance, our livestock producers don't have the same safety net in place to weather this drought. That's why the livestock disaster programs are so important. The last farm bill was in place for 5 years, while the livestock disaster programs were only put into place for 4. That's why back in April I introduced legislation that would reauthorize those programs and retroactively look at 2012, recognizing that it was a dereliction of our duty, and to make sure that there was a safety net for our livestock producers, as well. The 2008 farm bill did not extend that disaster coverage for this year, but today we have the chance to make that right. This House should not go home while literally hanging our ranchers out to dry without a safety net to get through this drought. This need is immediate, which is why we need to get this done. Beyond this, I'm going to continue to advocate for a 5-year farm bill, knowing it's the right thing to do, making sure that these programs are put into place for the lifetime of that farm bill so that we can avoid situations like this.…”