Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the importance of getting a farm bill done this year. Growing up on a farm in South Dakota, I know how volatile the agriculture industry certainly is. Our producers will invest in seed; they will fertilize the land; and they will put it in the ground in the spring, oftentimes in unfavorable weather, in the hope that that fall they will come back and be able to pick something up and have something to show for it in the fall. The crops that are grown provide food not just for South Dakota, but for our Nation and for our world. South Dakotans understand that our weather can be extreme and it can be unpredictable. It can also vary a lot from year to year. We have certainly seen that situation this year. Look at what we have witnessed lately. We have gone from extreme droughts in the Midwest to now blizzards in April. For agriculture producers, these extremes are more than an inconvenience. Whether it is an extended drought that dries out crops or a blizzard that endangers a herd of cattle, weather disasters can mean the difference between a family operation that is able to make it through another year or a family operation that ends forever. When faced with weather-related disasters, I know that it is essential for our farmers and ranchers to have immediate assistance to keep their operations running. We have a national security interest in being able to produce our own food in this country.…”