Agriculture

I take the responsibility of being the voice for all of the agricultural producers in the 19th District very seriously. I know that these farmers and ranchers are responsible for providing America’s people and people abroad with food, fiber and energy they need to survive.

It has been more than a year since Congress began the process of writing a new five-year farm bill, and I am pleased to report the House and Senate have passed this legislation and voted to override President Bush’s veto.  I supported overriding the veto, which passed the House by a vote of 316-108 on May 21, 2008.  Despite an error in sending the final bill to the President, which has been corrected, H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation and Energy Act became law on May 22, 2008.

I was honored to represent farmers, ranchers and consumers across West Texas and the Big Country as a member of the House and Senate conference committee that negotiated the differences between the bills each chamber passed last year.  The final legislation largely continues the successful farm polices of the 2002 Farm Bill that producers tell me have suited them well and that have worked as intended, kicking in only when prices are low.  Because of the delay in completing this legislation, no major farm policy changes will be implemented for the 2008 crop year.

While this law is not perfect and includes some policies I was not supportive of, overall I believe this is a good Farm Bill not only for farmers and ranchers, but also for consumers and taxpayers.  As I reminded my House colleagues during debate on the final legislation, more than 70 percent of the funding in this bill is for food and nutrition programs and about 12 percent of the funding is directed toward farm policies.  This is not just a “farm bill.”  Farm policy that helps maintain and strengthen our agriculture infrastructure ensures that American producers continue to grow the safest and most affordable food and fiber in the world. 

I will continue to work with the House Agriculture Committee and the Department of Agriculture as this law is implemented.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about any part of the 2008 Farm Bill.  In addition, 2008 Farm Bill summary fact sheets from the House Agriculture Committee can be found at: http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/FarmBill.html