Frank Tejeda: “I rise now to highlight a gaping hole in this farm bill. Missing is the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Program. For…”

“I rise now to highlight a gaping hole in this farm bill. Missing is the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Program. For more than 50 years, this crucial program provided a vital safety net for livestock ranchers in times of severe drought. This farm bill eliminates that protection. When a severe drought hits, ranchers need assistance to maintain their livestock. The alternative for many ranchers is financial disaster. Ranchers must feed their livestock whether it rains or not--whether feed is plentiful or scarce. The Emergency Feed Assistance Program provides short-term help during such a crisis. Some of my colleagues who returned home to huge snow drifts may find this hard to believe. But right now, today, ranchers in south Texas face a sustained drought. Formerly productive pastures are turned into dust, with no end in sight. Rainfall since October is 9 inches below normal. With cattle prices low, the current drought may force many ranchers in my district to lose everything. The Federal Government should provide a reliable program when ranchers need help preserving their livestock. Hard-working ranchers depend on us, American consumers depend on us, this program provides stability in difficult times. More than 1,000 ranchers in my district used this Emergency Feed Assistance Program last year alone. Without it, ranchers will have nowhere to turn in times of severe need.”