As the home of the majority of Kentucky’s family farming operations, the First District provides numerous incentives for farmers to expand and diversify their businesses. Agriculture is the lifeblood of the First District’s rural economy. I am pleased commodity prices are high and I hope that poor weather conditions do not hinder our farmers’ ability to boost farm income this year. However, as in the past when bad weather hit or commodity prices dropped, I will continue to be a tireless advocate in Congress for agriculture by ensuring agriculture commodities have adequate safety nets and access to the newest technologies.
This past Spring, the House passed, and I supported the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007, also known as the Farm Bill. This critical piece of legislation gives Kentucky farmers the support they need to provide the most inexpensive, safest, and plentiful food supply in the world.
The Farm Bill authorizes $714 billion over the next ten years to fund a wide range of U.S. agriculture and food assistance programs. The bill extends price safety nets for farmers, reauthorizes food security programs and agricultural conservation programs, expands nutrition and food aid, and provides for commodity reforms, enhanced biofuel programs, and support for rural development.
Importantly, the Farm Bill prohibits the closure or relocation of Farm Service Agency offices for the next two years, except for offices located 20 miles or less from another office. I have worked hard to stop efforts to consolidate FSA offices in Kentucky in the past, recognizing these offices as vital resources for countless farmers in the First District.
In addition to extending and modernizing federal farm programs, the Farm Bill reforms crop insurance, establishes standing disaster assistance programs for crops stricken by catastrophic natural disasters, caps benefits previously given to wealthy farmers and eliminates subsidies to non-farmers.
I understand just how important legislation like the Farm Bill is to Kentucky farmers, both as a safety net in hard times and as a framework for federal support of our farming industry. The Farm bill we passed this year will give Kentucky farmers the tools that they need to keep producing affordable products for American consumers, and for people all over the world, while bringing more money into Kentucky’s economy.
Tobacco
Tobacco is raised in almost every county in Kentucky and is critical to the Commonwealth’s economy. For that reason, I am opposed to giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco because of my concerns that the FDA could impose harmful regulations on our farmers without any beneficial health effect. The health issues associated with tobacco use are widely known, and the use of tobacco by adults is a decision they will make on their own regardless of how the product is regulated on the farm. In addition, I believe that additional taxes on tobacco only hurt the farmers and the small businesses who serve the farming community.
Renewables
Farmers not only provide food and fiber to communities in the U.S. and abroad, but they have also recently been asked to help reduce America's reliance on oil. As a Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have used my seat to advance ethanol and biodiesel operations in the First District. Although the renewable fuel industry is a relatively new industry, advancements in this sector will certainly be an asset to First District farmers and the U.S. In 2007, Congress passed and the President signed into law an energy package that built upon the achievements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Among several things, the 2007 Energy Bill extends and expands tax credits and incentives for biofuel, while also significantly expanding the scope of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), which mandates that a certain amount of biofuel must be used by a certain date.
I am pleased that the First District has already proven itself to be a leader in the development and use of these fuels. The Commonwealth Agri-Energy Ethanol plant in Hopkinsville is the largest producer of bioethanol in Kentucky. Each year millions of bushels of corn will be used to produce over 30 million gallons of ethanol with plans to expand to 50 million. In addition, this facility is locally owned by two groups of farmer investors: the Kentucky Corn Growers' Association and the Hopkinsville Elevator Cooperative. I will continue working to support this industry that benefits our farmers, consumers, and environment.
The Farm Bill that Congress passed earlier this year also contains a number of provisions which promote renewable energy. The legislation directs $1 billion to fund programs that will help the renewable energy industry invest in new technologies and I am hopeful that the First Congressional District will reap some of the benefits of this investment.Food Safety
With the outbreak of salmonella in tomatoes, contaminated wheat gluten in pet food and last year’s E. coli scare in spinach, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing entitled “Diminished Capacity: Can the FDA Assure the Safety and Security of the Nation’s Food Supply?” Since then I have participated in other hearings on food safety, which have forced the Food and Drug Administration to take a hard look at the safety procedures that are currently in place.
The safety and security of our food supply needs to be intensively reviewed. Through a responsible, bipartisan review we can determine the best and most effective ways to improve the safety and security of our food supply. Questions such as the importance of mandatory recalls on contaminated products, ways to improve reporting of food poisoning outbreaks, the reluctance of China to cooperate in assisting the FDA with its investigations and sufficient funding of the FDA were all raised during the hearings. In the case of funding for the FDA, I questioned why the FDA regulates 80% of the nation’s food supply while receiving only 20% of the funds to do so. The government has a responsibility to help ensure the safety of all food produced, manufactured and sold in the United States. It is imperative that we provide the FDA with all necessary resources to verify that the public’s food supply is safe and free of all diseases. Please know that I will continue to work diligently to ensure that America continues to have the safest, most affordable food supply.
Awards
As a result of my efforts in Congress, I have been given several awards which include the Kentucky Farm Bureau Friend of the Farmer Award, the 2008 Congressional Support for Science Award from the Institute of Food Technologists and a Certificate of Appreciation by the National Association of Wheat Growers. I am pleased to serve the agriculture interest as your federal representative.
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