Herb Kohl: “I intend to support this conference report and encourage my colleagues to do likewise. Achieving consensus on farm bills…”

“I intend to support this conference report and encourage my colleagues to do likewise. Achieving consensus on farm bills is a notoriously difficult task. For all their hard work on this measure, I want to express my appreciation to Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Chambliss, and the talented staff who put in long hours to get us to this point. The end result of these hard-fought negotiations is a better safety net for dairy producers in Wisconsin and across the Nation. This bill restores and strengthens the original MILC Program, which was a hard-won effort designed to end regional dairy battles and provide a safety net for small and midsized producers. Since its implementation 6 years ago, MILC has proven to be a critical backstop for thousands of family farmers when milk prices plummet. The 'feed cost adjuster' included in this bill acknowledges that rising feed costs have become a real challenge for dairy farmers. My colleague and friend Senator Leahy and his staff played a pivotal roll in guiding these provisions and I commend their work. This measure also moves forward in allowing interstate commerce in State-inspected meat products.”