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Issues: Drought“We need to ensure that American farmers and ranchers are fixtures in the countryside, not an exhibit at the Smithsonian.”
In 2002, 2003, and again in 2004, Ben Nelson pushed the Senate to pass a comprehensive disaster relief package for agriculture producers. Each year, Nelson insisted the assistance be provided as “emergency” assistance; the same assistance afforded victims of hurricanes tornados and earth quakes. In each case, the Senate provided less than what Nelson sought but his efforts have lead to the distribution of more than $6 billion in drought disaster assistance for America’s farmers and ranchers who have suffered several years of drought.
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Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson has made comprehensive drought relief a centerpiece of his work on the Senate Agriculture Committee. He believes that “a disaster is a disaster” and borrowing a page from the hurricane tracking system he named the current five-year drought “David” to raise awareness of its devastating economic impact on rural America.
