| |
Source: PRESS RELEASE, 7/17/12
Congressman Rick Berg today announced that he has sent a letter to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (R – Ohio), House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R – Virginia) and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R – California) to call for the prompt consideration of the House Farm Bill. The Farm Bill, known formally as the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (FARRM), was reported out of the Committee on Agriculture late last week by a vote of 35 to 11.
“The time for the House to act on the 2012 Farm Bill is now,” stated Berg in his letter to the House Leadership. “The lack of a 2012 Farm Bill would fail to provide the necessary certainty to farmers and ranchers, which could cripple North Dakota’s number one industry and lead to higher prices for consumers at the grocery store. North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers are depending on Congress to do its job tofully and fairly debate this issue. With that, I urge you to bring the Farm Bill to the House floor as soon as possible.”
Berg has also been in contact with other members of Congress to pen a joint letter to House Leadership echoing his calls for quick consideration of the House Farm Bill.
Last week, Berg spoke on the House floor calling for the prompt consideration of the House Farm Bill.
“Getting a Farm Bill reported out of Committee is a big step forward for the many farmers and ranchers who are looking for the stability and certainty that a long-term Farm Bill reauthorization will bring,” stated Berg on the House Floor. “It is now critical for the House act quickly in passing the Farm Bill so the Senate and House can agree on a final bill in their conference committee. This crucial law expires on September 30th 2012, and must be reauthorized quickly so the farmers working on North Dakota’s 31,000 farms have the certainty they need to grow and prosper.”
North Dakota is home to just over 31,000 farms that provide a safe and affordable food supply for people across the world. The state has some of the richest soil and best grazing land, which contributes to North Dakota leading the nation in the harvest of nine different commodities, including dry edible beans, navy beans, pinto beans, canola, flaxseed, honey, sunflower oil, durum wheat, and spring wheat.
Earlier this year, Berg brought Chairman Lucas to North Dakota to discuss firsthand the importance of developing a new Farm Bill that recognizes the unique challenges facing North Dakota farmers and ranchers. Specifically, Berg stressed the importance of a strong crop insurance program.
Berg noted there are good aspects in both the Senate and House bills and stressed that the most important thing was to continue to move the process forward by bringing the House version to the floor for a vote.
Below are the highlights of the FARRM Act.
· FARRM saves more than $35 billion in mandatory funding.
· FARRM repeals or consolidates more than 100 programs.
· FARRM eliminates direct payments, as well as streamlines and reforms commodity policy, saving taxpayers more than $14 billion
· FARRM improves program integrity and accountability in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that saves taxpayers more than $16 billion.
· FARRM consolidates 23 conservation programs into 13, which improves program delivery to producers and saves taxpayers more than $6 billion.
FARRM provides regulatory relief, including H.R. 872, to mitigate burdens
|
