Patty Murray: “it is imperative that we preserve Pakistan as an export market for our wheat. Washington State wheat growers need this…”

“it is imperative that we preserve Pakistan as an export market for our wheat. Washington State wheat growers need this bill. Our wheat prices right now are beneath the cost of production. Our growers and the rural communities they support are, frankly, losing the shirts off their backs. There are now 3,500 wheat farms in eastern Washington; that is 3,500 wheat families. These families are the backbone of our rural economy. In Douglas, Lincoln, and Adams Counties, in Ritzville and Garfield, our growers need export markets like Pakistan so they can keep going. Every day we are losing family farms, and it is imperative that we do something about it. This bill doesn't just affect farmers, it affects our truckers, it affects our ports, it affects our barge operators, and all of their families as well. Given the evolving market forces in south Asia, it is really critical that we pass this bill today to give wheat growers in Washington State, the Northwest, and the Nation the chance to compete with other suppliers who are just waiting to take our customers. No one condones the actions of either Pakistan or India earlier this year. The proliferation of nuclear weapons must not be allowed. The Arms Export Control Act of 1994, passed overwhelmingly by Congress, and requires that sanctions be imposed on these nations. But the original act excluded food and humanitarian assistance.…”