Our farmers don’t want to be welfare farmers. They don’t want to be insurance farmers. They simply want to do what they know how to do best, and that is feed America. This new Farm Bill ensures that America will be there for our farm families when market prices are down, just as our farm families have been there for America for many, many generations.  

Included in the bill is an amendment co-sponsored by Congressman Chip Pickering of Mississippi and myself aimed at addressing the unfair dumping of so-called catfish into America from Vietnam.  The truth is this so-called catfish from Vietnam is not catfish at all, not even from the same species.  In fact, it’s no more related to catfish than a cat is to a cow, and it’s wrong for it to be passed off to consumers as farm-raised catfish.  Our amendment takes an important step in giving our catfish farmers the level playing field they need and deserve by saying that the term “catfish” can longer be used for any fish, like the ones from Vietnam, that is not specifically a member of the catfish family. 

I am pleased that our amendment has been approved as part of this bipartisan Farm Bill, a bill that is good for Arkansas, good for our farm families, and good for America.  Now that the House has passed this measure, and I urge the Senate and the President to quickly follow suit and enact this legislation, so we can truly help America’s farm families.