U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

June 7, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar Calls on President to Lead on Ag Disaster Relief

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As farmers, ranchers and rural communities in Colorado face increasingly dire moisture conditions, United States Senator Ken Salazar today strongly urged President Bush to lead on behalf of America’s farmers and ranchers and convince members of the conference committee for the Supplemental Appropriations Bill to retain $3.9 billion in emergency agriculture relief funding. The funding, added with strong bipartisan support, is currently at risk because of a veto threat by President Bush.

“The $3.9 billion in emergency disaster assistance included in the Supplemental Appropriations bill for America’s farmers and ranchers is absolutely critical. These hard-working men and women are struggling to put food on their tables, and ours. Soaring fuel and other input costs, coupled with a crippling drought, has pushed them to the brink.

“It is outrageous that the Congress is even considering abandoning our farmers and ranchers in their most desperate hour.

“While I am disappointed in the lack of leadership displayed by this conference committee, on this issue, the buck stops with the President. While the President has continued to push for tax cuts that favor the richest of the rich, he has refused to take the side of the American farmer and rancher and turned his back on our Nation’s rural agricultural communities.

“Let there be no mistake: the eyes of the family farmers and ranchers of America rest tonight upon the White House and this President. Now is the time for the President to step up and take responsibility. He alone has the ability to lead members of this conference committee to retain this desperately-needed emergency funding.”

Over the past six years, Colorado has suffered from ongoing natural disasters including drought compounded by soaring gas prices already inflated by Hurricane Katrina. In early May 2006, the Senate passed the $109 billion emergency supplemental which included the Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2006. The amendment, which Senator Salazar helped introduce, provided $3.9 billion in emergency agriculture disaster relief funding to farmers and ranchers who have suffered smaller harvests as a result of drought and other natural disasters, lower prices, and higher input costs. The full Emergency Supplemental remains in conference committee with the House.

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