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U.S.
Senator Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release September 6, 2006 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Farmers and ranchers in Colorado and across the Nation have suffered back-to-back years of devastating losses as a result of ongoing drought conditions and higher input costs, such as fuel and fertilizer. In response, a bipartisan group of Senators including Senator Ken Salazar, today introduced legislation to provide immediate emergency relief to America’s suffering rural communities. “After spending the last month hearing from Colorado’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities during listening sessions around the state, the message was clear: the need for emergency relief is more pressing than ever,” said Senator Salazar. “Washington must act now to prevent these communities from withering on the vine, and I’m proud to continue to help lead this renewed push for immediate emergency disaster assistance.” Today, a bipartisan group of Senators including Democratic Senators Salazar (CO), Dorgan (ND), and Baucus (MT), and Republican Senators Thune (SD), Talent (MO), and Coleman (MN), introduced the “Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2006.” Covering losses incurred in both 2005 and 2006, the Act would provide billions in direct emergency disaster relief for losses due to ongoing disasters. The legislation is comprehensive and National in scope, covering losses from hurricanes, drought, flood, disease and other weather related causes. The bill also provides for a Livestock Compensation program for producers in designated disaster counties to help cover their added costs of procuring livestock feed, supplemental nutrition and economic disaster assistance in the form of a supplemental direct payment as well as funding for a small business grant program for businesses that have suffered financial losses due to drought conditions in their communities. “Earlier this year, Washington had the opportunity to give direct relief to our Nation’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities who were struggling to get by,” said Senator Salazar. “But a lack of leadership by President Bush and opponents of this provision in Congress led to Washington turning its back on our farmers. We now have the opportunity to correct this before it is too late.” Just last week, the Secretary of Agriculture announced $780 million in assistance to help all farmers and ranchers nationwide manage drought and weather related production challenges. Colorado producers will receive a percentage of that funding, but it will not equate to the loss they have incurred over the last 6 years of drought. The “Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2006” will help bridge that gap. In March, Senator Salazar joined with a bipartisan group of 26 Senate colleagues, led by Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, to introduce S.2438, the Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2006. In April 2006, S.2438 was unanimously included into the $96B Iraq/ Afghanistan/ hurricane relief emergency supplemental appropriations bill, H.R. 4939, which passed the Senate by a vote of 77 to 21 in early May of this year with Senator Salazar’s support. Unfortunately, this important rural relief provision failed to survive the House-Senate conference. Senator Salazar was the only member of Colorado’s Senate delegation not a member of the conference committee, and was the only member of Colorado’s Senate delegation to consistently back this critical legislation to preserve the livelihoods of Colorado’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. # # #
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