T. Gorton: “on March 28, 1996, Congress passed the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act, most commonly referred to as the…”

“on March 28, 1996, Congress passed the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act, most commonly referred to as the farm bill. This comprehensive, forward looking legislation provides U.S. agriculture the free market principles that our farmers and ranchers requested and desired. Government no longer dictates to farmers how much to plant, when to plant, when to buy, or when to sell. The farm bill provides the flexibility, predictability, and simplicity that our farmers and ranchers asked for from their government. In the past few months, agriculture in the United States has been impacted by chaotic world markets, natural disasters, and disease. These occurrences are not the result of the Farm Bill, but without a doubt have impacted the prices paid for U.S. commodities. As a member of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I had the opportunity to review and subsequently pass a disaster package as part of the Fiscal Year 1999 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report. This package includes relief for those farmers who experienced one or all three of the aforementioned occurrences.”