Congressman Allen Boyd, Representing the 2nd District of Florida
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 23, 2006
CONTACT: Melanie Morris   (202) 225-5235
 

"Revamping Our Farm Bill"

By Congressman Allen Boyd (D-FL)

Boyd Farm

Congressman Boyd and his wife, Cissy, on their farm in Monticello, Florida.

 

At the start of the new year, the rewrite of the farm bill will be a top priority for Congress and will set our national agriculture policy into the next decade.  Currently, agriculture “listening sessions” are being held across the country by members of Congress in preparation for the drafting of the 2007 Farm Bill.  These meetings allow for feedback from farm families and farm groups on ways to improve our nation’s farm policy and ensure that our farmers have the tools and resources they need.  Today, I hosted a similar “listening session” in Florida, along with Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart, Mark Foley, and Adam Putnam.  Representatives from Florida’s major crops and specialty crops also were in attendance so that we could discuss our agriculture priorities and needs as we prepare to write the 2007 Farm Bill. 

As a fifth generation farmer and one of the handful of active farmers in Congress, I know firsthand the challenges facing farmers in North Florida, and I believe it is important for me to communicate to my colleagues in Congress the real impact that changes to the farm bill can have on our agricultural producers, our food supply, and our communities.  The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, commonly known as the 2002 Farm Bill, made major improvements to the agricultural industry.  In the 2002 Farm Bill, Congress made a commitment to improve the farm safety net and bring predictability to the federal government’s farm support programs in a fiscally responsible way.  This bill has been a tremendous success, providing assistance to farmers and greatly enhancing conservation programs, rural development aid, and nutrition assistance to low income children and families.

Unfortunately, our country’s economic environment is not the same as it was in 2001 when the 2002 Farm Bill was debated and we enjoyed a projected multi-billion dollar, multi-year budget surplus.  Due to fiscal irresponsibility and deficit spending on behalf of Congress and the current Administration, those surpluses have turned into record budget deficits.  In addition, last year, Congress was forced to cut farm bill spending by $2.7 billion over the next five years, effectively using the farm bill as a piggy bank to pay for our government’s fiscal mismanagement. 

As a result of our current budget situation, many important farm programs could be at stake as we face the possibility of a “smaller pie” when it comes to the 2007 Farm Bill.  However, shortchanging the next farm bill would be terribly unwise and detrimental to our nation’s producers.  I have been vocal about my strong belief that our nation must get its fiscal house in order, but cutting farm bill payments in the name of fiscal responsibility is an ineffective way to reduce our deficit and jeopardizes our ability to compete in a global market. 

Despite these budget challenges, the expiration of the 2002 Farm Bill next year presents huge promise and potential for the agricultural industry.  With the rewrite of the farm bill, we have the opportunity to develop more effective disaster assistance, better access to agricultural credit, and more programs to encourage agricultural research, development, and conservation. 

Since the enactment of the 2002 Farm Bill, Florida’s farmers, as well as the entire North Florida community, have benefited greatly from the provisions of this important legislation, which helped our farmers compete with the more heavily subsidized farmers in other parts of the world.  I am committed to working in Congress to expand on the 2002 Farm Bill so that our farmers can continue to provide our country, and the world, with the highest quality, safest, and most affordable food supply.

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